


Role Model

by ElodieTheFangirl



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Adorable Peter Parker, Family, Family Fluff, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Irondad, Just a little something I wrote, Not Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Compliant, SpiderKid, Team as Family, Tony Stark Has A Heart
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-26
Updated: 2018-10-15
Packaged: 2019-02-07 04:15:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 34
Words: 31,734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12833094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElodieTheFangirl/pseuds/ElodieTheFangirl
Summary: Peter has something he wants to ask to Tony. He might be a little nervous.





	1. The Question

**Author's Note:**

> Hello guys! Thank you so much for all your kind comments, I hope you'll like this new chapter!

Peter was currently standing in front of the lounging room's door. He would have walked in if he wasn't so goddamn nervous. His hands were slightly shaking and he was taking deep breaths to calm himself. It wasn't particularly effective.

 

_It's okay, you can do this. Besides, he will probably say yes, right? Why would he refuse? It's not like he's a super busy billionaire who also happens to be a super-hero._

 

Peter let out a defeated sigh. He wanted to ask something to Tony, but he wasn't sure of his reaction. He could be horrified or delighted. Possibly both at the same time. Maybe he should wait, he wasn't that late on the essay anyway-

 

"Do you plan on staying in front of the door indefinitely?" An annoyed voice asked behind him.

 

Startled, Peter quickly turned around to find Loki staring at him, eyebrow raised. He didn't know how long he's been standing there, but it was apparently long enough to annoy the God of Mischief. Which was something the teenager usually tried to avoid doing. The black-haired man may have found redemption after his and Thor's return to Earth, but Peter still wasn't entirely comfortable around him. His spider senses kept telling him to be careful.

 

"S-Sorry! Please, go right ahead!" Peter said hurrily, opening the door for him.

 

Loki walked in without looking at him and said : "Stark, I think your child wants your attention."

 

Peter cursed under his breath. People - well, the Avengers- kept teasing Tony and Peter about their relationship and calling him his son. It didn't bother him that much, he was actually quite flattered to be honest. But he was always afraid of the reaction of Tony. He didn't want him to think he was needy or clingy. And what he was about to ask wasn't going to work in his favour.

 

"Peter? Come here, kiddo, we were about to order pizza, what do you want?"

 

Tony was on the couch, StarkPhone in hand, looking at him through his sunglasses. All the Avengers were here. Perfect. Because all Peter needed right now was an audience. He hesitated a moment, but finally joined the others in the lounging room.

 

"I'll have an Hawaiian, please. Extra large."

 

Tony rolled his eyes. " We're really gonna have to talk about your taste in pizza, kid." 

 

"Don't listen to him, buddy. He's just jealous because he's allergic to pineapple." Clint interjected from the counter where he was cleaning his arrows.

 

"I'm not jealous. Besides, if Gordon Ramsay says not to put pineapple on a pizza, you don't put pineapple on the freaking pizza."

 

"Language." Steve chimed without taking his eyes off of his newspapers.

 

"Peter is fifteen, Cap, not eight. I'm sure he can handle that kind of language." Sam added, amused.

 

"It's fine. I'm fine. Hey, Tony, can I talk to you for a sec?"

 

"Sure thing." Tony threw his phone at Rhodey who caught it easily. "Can you take care of the order? And don't forget the extra pickles this time."

 

"You and your pickles..." Rhodey mumbled while taping the number.

 

Peter kept licking his dry lips nervously. Tony and him had grown close for the past year, but...

 

"So, what have you done this time, kiddo? Did you steal a car and crashed it? Because I totally did that when I was your age. I wouldn't be mad, y'know ? Proud maybe, but definitely not mad. »

 

« Tony... » Steve warned. « Why did we say about being a role model ? »

 

« About that ! » Peter cut off. « I'm supposed to interview my role model and write an essay about it for my sociology class and...I was wondering if, maybe, if it doesn't bother you, if you're not too busy...you would let me interview you? It's okay if you don't want to!” Peter quickly added, perfecly aware that everyone in the room was looking at him.

 

A complete silence fell upon the room. It's seemed like everyone just stopped breathing for a minute. All the Avengers were staring at the silent billionaire. Peter could feel the lump in his throat as the silence streched. Had he made a mistake? Maybe Tony didn't want to be bothered with stupid homeworks.

 

Slowly, very slowly, Tony pulled off his sunglasses. His eyes were bewildered as he stared at Peter. The teenager didn't remember ever seeing him that tensed.

 

“...You want to interview me? Me? You're sure you're not talking to Cap over there?”

 

“Well yeah...but if you don't want to-”

 

“Of course I want to, kiddo.” Tony interrupted firmly. “Why don't you go back to your room and I'll join you in a minute, okay?”

 

Peter grinned from ear to ear and nodded enthusiastically. “Yes! Of course! I'll prepare everything!” And he took off at the speed of light.

 

* * *

 

Still reeling, Tony turned to his teammates, a matching grin on his face.

 

“You heard that? I'm a role model.”

 

Clint sighed. “The poor kid doesn't know what he just started. He will never let us live this down.” He shook his head, definitely not ready for the months of nagging to come.

 

Bruce, who was standing the closest to Tony, put a hand on his shoulder, a small smile on his face. “I'm glad for you, Tony. Peter really respects you. He couldn't have found a better role model.”

 

“Although, maybe you should start losing the sunglasses when you're inside. Only douchebags wear sunglasses inside.You wouldn't want to give that kind of image to your son.” Sam joked, sipping on his whiskey from his chair.

 

“Hey! Sunglasses are cool. Besides, I need them to attenuate the stupidity of your face, Wilson. Are the pizzas ordered, Rhodey?”

 

“Yep, they'll be here in thirty minutes. And yes, I ordered the extra pickles, you freak.”

 

“Okay, call me when they arrived. I'll be in Peter's room.”

 

“Aww aren't you a good dad?” Natasha teased, perched on the armrest of Steve's chair.

 

“I know, I'm the best.” Tony shouted behind him as he left the room.

 

Once again, it didn't escape anyone's attention that Tony didn't correct them when they called Peter his son.

 


	2. The Interview

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the interview part, as promised. I hope you'll like it!

Peter had completely forgotten his room was an absolute mess.

 

He wasn't a messy person per say, but sometimes the thoughts in his head were so fast that he forgot what he was doing. Which was the reason why the floor was littered with books and papers and- was that pizza ?

 

The teenager quickly grabbed the books and placed them in his bookcase. He didn't want Tony to think he couldn't keep his room – the one in the Avengers compound - clean.

 

He was about to throw the pizza into the trash when he heard knocks on the door. Panicked, he grabbed the clothes that were still on the floor and threw them into his closet – he would just tidy later (probably not though). He then hurridly opened the door to see a smiling Tony with his arms behind his head. Without waiting, he walked into the room like he owned it. Which he did.

 

“Okay, kiddo, how are we doing this?” Tony said while removing his sunglasses. Weird. He usually kept them on.

 

“Umm, I don't know, just sit on the bed, if that's okay?” Peter asked nervously.

 

Tony shrugged. “Fine by me.”

 

Peter exhaled deeply and pulled his chair to sit in front of Tony with his notebook on his knees. He cleared his throat loudly, still not believing that this – interviewing one the most brilliant minds in the world – was his life.

 

“Okay, so I have a series of questions I have to ask you and a couple I have to answer to myself. You're ready?”

 

“Shoot.”

 

“Okay. First question. How do you define being successful?”

 

“Depends on the situation. I'd say I feel successful when I can look back at what I've done and feel proud. Or not least not ashamed. Which is not that often.”

 

Peter whipped his head to look at him. “That's not true! Last week you saved a city in Iowa from flooding! If that's not a success, I don't know what is.”

 

Tony smiled at Peter's passion. The kid probably had the biggest heart of them all, and that's saying something.

 

“It was more of a team effort really, but I guess you're right Pete.”

 

“Damn right I am.” Peter replied with a smug smile, finally relaxing.

 

“Now now, don't start talking like me or Cap will have my head for corrupting you.” Tony teased with a smirk.

 

Peter laughed openly. He had forgotten how much he liked spending time with Tony. Lately the Avengers were always on missions he wasn't allowed to be on.

 

“Okay, second question. How do you deal with failure?”

 

“Your teacher is probably not gonna like the answer to this one. I'm gonna be honest with you kid. I deal with my failure the same way I deal with all my problems : with a bottle of whisky and self blame. You should probably change the answer to that. Don't want you to be in trouble for my bad habits.”

 

“No. I won't change a thing.” Peter replied firmly. “ Our demons are part of who we are. It doesn't mean I respect you any less. I don't care if my teacher thinks differently.”

 

That was another thing Tony absolutely adored about him, he thought fondly. His unwavering loyalty.

 

“Besides, I'm 99% sure M. Davis hides a bottle of tequila in his desk, so he would be a really poor judge.” Peter added quickly with a shrug.

 

Tony let out a laugh, delighted by Peter's wit.

 

“Third question. What is the biggest challenge you came across, and how did you handle yourself mentally through it? “ Peter paused. “You don't have to answer that one if you don't want to, you know?”

 

“It's okay, kiddo. I'm sure you're thinking about the whole desert and kidnapping thing, but that's not it.”

 

“Really?” Peter asked, surprised. “But you told me you still had nightmares about that.”

 

 _Yeah, that was a fun discussion_ , Tony thought ironically.

 

“Yeah, but it wasn't the real challenge, although I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy.” Tony stopped for a second, looked up at the ceiling, sighed, and resumed taking. “The real challenge was after I came back. It was looking in the mirror and realizing that everything I've done in my life up to that point was ruining people's life. It was knowing that I had to change everything I was in order to become someone different, someone I could be proud of. That was the real challenge.”

 

Peter took note of every words. The first time he met Tony, he was still a kid, but Tony was already a hero. He hadn't known him - and couldn't imagine him - any other way. It made him respect him even more, knowing that he worked hard to become who he was today.

 

The adolescent cleared his throat and said: “Okay, the last three questions are easier, I think. How do you spend your free time?”

 

Tony held back a smirk, the words _Why don't you ask your aunt_ burning his lips. But he knew how much Peter hated when he mentioned May that way, so he kept his mouth shut. Instead, he answered with an easy smile: “When I'm not saving the world, I enjoy tinkering in my lab, playing bowling and spending time with my favorite intern.”

 

Peter blushed but wrote the words nonetheless. “ Umm, okay. What's the most motivating one-liner ever?”

 

“You can. Period. Everyone who's telling you otherwise is just wasting your time.” Tony said immediately. “ Always remember that, Pete, okay? If someone's telling you what you're doing is impossible, then you're probably doing the right thing.”

 

Peter smiled and nodded. His whole life was a bunch of impossible situations, so that was easy to understand.

 

“Last question.” And the one he really wanted him to answer. He was really, really curious. “Who do you look up to?”

 

Tony stared at this kid who turned his life upside down from the moment they met, and the answer was crystal clear.

 

“You.”

 

Peter's pencil lead broke against the paper as he heard those words. Not believing what he just heard, he slowly raised his head to look at his mentor.

 

“...I'm sorry?”

 

“Pete, I can count the people who make me want to be a better person on one hand. You're one of those people, kiddo.”

 

Peter stared at him, mouth wide open. Tony feared that he might have broken him.

 

“Peter?”

 

In a flash, Peter had dropped his notebook to the ground and tackled Tony on the bed. The billionaire let out a pained huff as Peter wrapped his arms around him.

 

“I really, really love you, y'know?” The teenager said, his trembling voice muffled against Tony's shoulder.

 

Tony sighed, smiled fondly at the boy against him, and soflty patted his head.

 

“I know, I love you too son.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was pretty inspired for this one, because Tony and Peter are my babies, I love them so much. Please leave a comment and tell me your opinion!


	3. Unexpected Reactions

Peter was in his sociology class, bored out his mind. Beside him, Ned was drawing the Avengers on his notebook. He was a pretty good cartoonist to be honest. Peter smiled when he saw that his friend had included him in his Spider suit. His best friend truly was the best.

 

“Okay everyone, here are your essays on role models!” M. Davis said placidly.

 

Peter straightened up. He had worked really hard on this essay. He had made sure that Tony's words were correctly transcribed. He hoped he would get a decent grade, since sociology wasn't exactly his strong point. Ned, who had interviewed his uncle who was a pilot, smiled widely at him.

 

“Parker, I have to say I'm really disappointed.” M. David said sternly.

 

Peter's eyes widened. What did he do wrong?

 

“I was really expecting better from you. I can't believe you thought lying was a good idea.”

 

“L-Lying? Sir, I didn't lie.”

 

“Really? You're going to tell me that you really interviewed Tony Stark and that he told all those things?” His teacher asked wrily.

 

“I did! You have to believe me, I wouldn't lie about something like that! I know M. Stark, I work for him.”

 

“Okay, Parker, that's enough. First you start skipping classes, and now you're lying straight to my face? You're going to have a talk with the principal.” M. Davis said, pointing his finger at the door.

 

Peter's face turned white. Everyone was staring at him, he could feel the humiliation overwhelming him. It was unfair. He was telling the truth. Slowly, he left the room and headed toward the principal's office. By the time he got there, he thought he was going to cry.

 

The door was open, and Principal Morita was waiting for him at his desk.

 

“Just sit, Peter. I've called your aunt, she'll be here soon to talk about your behavior.” Principal Morita said simply.

 

 _Great._ Peter thought miserably. _This is officially the worst day of my life._

 

* * *

 

Peter spent the next 15 minutes listening to the principal ranting about rules and expectations. He was feeling more and more awful, even though he didn't do anything wrong. Then again, he couldn't exactly blame his teacher for not believing him. Who would believe that he -Peter Parker- could be acquainted with the great Tony Stark? Even he had trouble believing it sometimes.

 

Suddenly, the door of the office swung open. But the person behind it wasn't May, but a very angry looking Tony. The billionaire stomped into the office and planted himself in front of the desk, staring at the shocked principal.

 

“ What the hell is going on here?” Tony asked sharply.

 

Peter was in the same state as the principal. How could Tony be here?

 

“T-Tony! What are you doing here?” Peter squeaked with wide eyes.

 

“What does it look like, kiddo? Your aunt called me, said there was a problem with the essay I helped you with.”

 

Principal Morita finally came to his senses and waved his hand between the two of them.

 

“You...You two know each other?” He stammered.

 

“Take a guess.” Tony said sarcastically.

 

“So the essay....”

 

“As I told M. Davis, I didn't lie. I respected the rules, I interviewed my role model.” Peter said firmly, feeling a lot more confident with Tony by his side, especially when he put his hand on his shoulder and squeezed it.

 

“So, if you don't mind, Peter and I are going to go now.” Tony expressed as he pulled on Peter's arm to make him stand up.

 

“But...” The principal tried to say.

 

Tony and Peter were out of the room before he could finish his sentence. The billionaire kept his hand on Peter's shoulder as they quickly left the school.

 

“You really didn't have to do this, Tony.” Peter muttered after they arrived at Tony's way too expensive car.

 

“Yes I did, son. I'm here when you need me.” Tony said simply.

 

The way Peter looked at him at this moment, with such love and admiration, Tony was sure he would never forget it. He wondered if he's ever looked at his own father that way. He really hoped he was a better father figure than he had been. Although it wouldn't be too complicated, he supposed.

 

Instead of getting inside the car, Peter joined Tony on the other side and hugged him. The billionaire was slowly getting better at showing affection, and he wrapped his arms around him.

 

“Thank you, Tony. I don't know what I would do without you.” Peter whispered.

 

Tony ruffled his hair. “ Same here, kiddo. Now, Ice Cream or Pancakes?”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHY IS ENGLISH GRAMMAR SO DAMN COMPLICATED?!  
> Do you want more? I've got a few ideas, maybe something a little more angsty? Would you like that?


	4. Movie Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There might some slight spoilers for Thor 3 if you haven't watched it yet.

That night, after a long talk with May, Peter was allowed to stay at the compound with the Avengers. He usually only spent his weekends there, but Tony insisted, arguing that he would drive him to school the next day. May agreed while sending Tony a _if-he-gets-into-trouble-i-will-murder-you-in-your-sleep_ kinda look. The billionaire promised that they would only watch a movie or two.

 

There wasn't much that Peter loved more than movie nights with the Avengers. But tonight was a little special. Tonight, he would finally get to meet the God of Thunder. Ever since he started hanging out with the team, Thor had always been busy with his kingly duties. Peter had so many questions about Asgard...although he should probably avoid asking them for now. He was particularly curious about the Bifrost. And he really didn't want to ask Loki about it. The mere idea made his skin crawl.

 

* * *

 

When they arrived at the Avengers compound, Tony and Peter found the Avengers arguing about which movie they were going to watch.

 

“If one more person suggests Robin Hood, God help me...” Clint warned.

 

“Calm down Katniss, I was just kidding.” Sam said, raising his hands in the hair.

 

“What about Mission Impossible?” Steve suggested to calm his teammates.

 

“Not another lame spy movie.” Natasha complained, slumped on the couch.

 

“How about we let the kid decides? He had a rough day.” Tony offered as they walked into the room, his arm around Peter's shoulder.

 

The team stopped arguing when they noticed them. They all welcomed Peter with warm smiles. Thor, who was leaning against the counter, smiled wildly and approached the two superheroes.

 

“Ah! We finally meet, young one. I am Thor, I am pleased to make your acquaintance.”

 

 _Now is not the time to fanboy Parker._ Peter thought as he shook Thor's extended hand. It was funny how small his hand looked in his.

 

“It's such an honor to meet you Thor! Or should I call your majesty? Should I bow? I don't really-”

 

Thor burst out laughing. This kid sure was charming.

 

“Thor is fine, little one. I've heard of your accomplishments, I'm sure your father must be incredibly proud of you.”

 

Everybody in the room just froze. Apparently, Thor hadn't been informed of Peter's situation. Clint choke on his beer. Steve and Sam shared a horrified look. Loki resisted the urge to facepalm at his brother's stupidity. Before things could get any more awkward, Tony squeezed Peter and said:

 

“I sure am, this kid is really something special.”

 

Thor looked between the two of them, obviously confused. But the moment he was about to open his mouth, Tony pushed Peter and him in the direction of the bar.

 

"Now, why don't we just take a drink - not you kiddo - and choose a movie? Don't forget there's school tomorrow Peter. You aunt will murder me if you don't respect your bedtime."

 

"I don't have a bedtime." Peter protested.

 

"I know that. You know that. Your aunt doesn't. Let's keep it that way."

 

Peter shrugged and took a Coke out of the fridge. Thor, who had two huge mugs full of something Peter couldn't identify, turned to him with a smile.

 

"You seem to be a worthy companion, young one. Share a drink with me." Thor said, holding out a mug.

 

"Thor, he's fifteen." Tony deadpanned.

 

"Oh! You're almost a man then! Here, have both." Obviously not familiar with age limits, the God of Thunder put both mugs in Peter's hands.

 

"Thor no!" Tony cried out, taking the mugs from Peter who didn't know if it was correct to refuse a king. The billionaire kept a mug for himself and gave the other one back to the Asgardian. "In this country, kids are not allowed to drink before they turn 21."

 

"As if you waited that long!" Sam interjected, laughing at Tony's sudden respect of the rules.

 

"I just don't want my kid to pick up my bad habits." Tony rolled his eyes.

 

Peter couldn't hide the smile on his lips when he heard Tony calling him his kid. Ever since he was a child, he had always wondered what it would be like to have a dad.

 

He might have found the answer to that question.

 

* * *

 

The whole team was finally sitting on sofas, popcorn and blankets ready. Peter had managed to squeeze himself between Tony and Clint. He had chosen Back to the Future, to the delight of Steve who had grown to love the movie.

 

It wasn't his intention to fall asleep. Really. But between school, patrolling and the decathlon, he wasn't sleeping much. So, about half the movie, his eyes started to close. He tried to fight it, tried to stay awake, but to no avail. Gradually, he started to lean against Tony, who was glancing at him, amused. Finally, Peter rested his head against Tony's shoulder, completely asleep despite the sound of the movie.

 

Touched by this adorable kid who meant so much to him, Tony put his arm against his shoulder and glared at his teammates who were smirking beside him.

 

Clint opened his mouth to say something witty when the billionaire said sharply, his fingers caressing the back of Peter's head:

 

"Wake him up and you'll sleep on the streets tonight, birdbrain."

 

The archer raised his hands in surrender and muttered something about overprotective fathers.


	5. Back to School

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for your support! I hope you'll like the new chapter.

“Peter? Wakey Wakey. You’re gonna be late, son.” A close voice said.

 

Peter groaned and put the blanket over his head. He definitely wasn’t an early riser, and Tony’s warm voice wasn’t going to change that. He just wanted a few more hours of sleep…

 

“Okay. Plan B.”

 

Without warning, Tony ripped the blanket off Peter’s bed and started to tickle him. Soon, Peter was laughing so hard he couldn’t breathe, with tears rimming his eyes. He tried in vain to escape Tony’s hands.

 

“Fine! I- I yield! I’ll get up, p-please stop!” Peter laughed breathlessly.

 

Tony eventually let him go with a smug smile. He crossed his arms, eyebrow raised.

 

“Finally! And you shouldn’t complain, I once threw a bucket of water on Rhodey to wake him up. Now hurry if you want to eat breakfast. I’m afraid Thor is going to eat the entire kitchen otherwise.”

 

“Don’t worry, I’ll be here in a minute.”

 

Tony stared at him for a second, just to make sure he wasn’t going to go back to bed, before leaving the room.

 

Peter couldn’t help smiling a little. It was definitely better than setting up an alarm.

 

* * *

 

“Thor, put that down! Theses cakes are meant for everyone, not just for you, you big oaf.” Loki growled as he tried to take the lemon cake from his brother.

 

“Remind me again who’s king, brother dear?” Thor teased, keeping Loki at arm’s length without a problem.

 

“You’re already taking advantage of your position? Damn that was fast.” Clint smirked from the other side of the table.

 

“Just give me the damn cake or I’ll turn your eye-patch pink!” Loki shouted. He really loved his lemon cakes.

 

“Do that and I’ll ask Bruce to smash you again.” Thor threatened.

 

“Hey! Don’t bring me into this.” Bruce quickly interjected.

 

That was the scene Peter discovered when he walked into the kitchen. _And these guys are the ones protecting our planet._ Peter thought wryly, taking a seat next to his mentor.

 

“There you are, kiddo. Here, I saved a cake for you.” Tony whispered as he slid the pastry to him.

 

“Thanks!”

 

Peter was happily eating his breakfast (two lemon cakes and an apple) when he noticed the time on the clock. 7:45 am. He choked on his bite and coughed while reaching for his backpack.

 

“Slow down, Peter, school is not worth dying for.” Steve said with a worried glance.

 

“Maybe not, but if I’m late for my gym class, my coach is going to kill me.” Peter said hurriedly.

 

Tony rolled his eyes. Sometimes he wondered who was the biggest drama queen of them both.

 

“Alright, kid. Let’s go before Thor decides that food isn’t enough and starts to eat us.”

 

* * *

 

Of course, they had to take a red Ferrari. Because Tony Stark just didn’t know the meaning of the word ‘discretion’.

 

“Kid, your principal has probably told everyone about that scene in his office. What’s the point of trying to be discreet?” Tony argued with his eyes fixed on the road.

 

“You know, you could have had Happy drop me off to school. I’m sure you’re busy.” Peter said softly after a short silence.

 

“I’m not seeing you until Friday night, so you're going to let me drive you to your freaking school. Besides, the President can wait.”

 

Peter whipped his head around and looked at him with wide, horrified eyes.

 

Tony let out a loud laugh. Teasing Peter really was his favorite hobby.

 

“I’m just kidding, Peter!”

 

The teenager relaxed.

 

“It’s just the Vice President.”

 

* * *

 

Twenty minutes later, they arrived at Midtown High School. Students were still hanging out in front of the building.

 

 _Great, so much for discretion._ Peter thought with a sigh.

 

“Thanks for dropping me off. Hopefully people have gone blind since yesterday and won’t notice the car.” Peter said sarcastically, but with a smile to tell Tony he really was grateful.

 

“You’re welcome, kiddo. Have a good day at school, and don’t forget you can call me anytime. Well, not in the middle of your class. But, still, anytime.” The billionaire responded warmly.

 

Peter nodded and, to Tony’s surprise, hugged him quickly before leaving the car.

 

He waited until Peter joined his friend Ned, who was freaking out, to start the car. Glancing at him one last time, he was Peter waving at him, along with Ned who looked a little starstruck. He waved back with a smile and left.

 

 _Today is gonna be a good day_. Tony decided.

 

He checked his phone to see five missed calls from the President.

 

_Or maybe not._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thor and Loki are always so funny to write. As always, leave a comment to tell me if you liked it!


	6. Hurt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I SAW THE TRAILER FOR INFINITY WAR AND IT WAS FREAKING AWESOME!! But I'm rambling. Hope you'll like the new chapter!

It was supposed to be a normal night.

 

It was Friday night, and Peter was on the couch, talking to Bruce about a science project he was pretty excited about. He liked talking to the scientist, he always seemed genuinely interested in Peter’s projects.

 

Beside them, Clint was playing Resident Evil VII with Natasha sitting at his feet.

 

“Stop running and start fighting, you coward!” The spy laughed.

 

“Are you insane?! She’s got a chainsaw!” The assassin replied in a high pitched voice.

 

“You’re so going to die.” Sam added with a smile.

 

“Next time I’ll buy something less scary for you, Barton. Maybe Nintendogs?” Tony teased.

 

It was a pretty calm night. Thor and Loki were out, probably dealing with some Asgardian issue. Steve, Wanda and Vision were on a mission and weren’t supposed to come home for at least a week. So it was just the six of them, relaxing in the lounge room. Tony was reading something on his StarkPad, his left arm resting lazily on Peter’s shoulders.

 

It was a good night.

 

Until all hell broke loose.

 

* * *

 

 

They didn’t see it coming.

 

The first bomb that came through the window exploded instantly, filling the room with smoke.

 

That set the team into action. Clint immediately dropped the remote and Natasha took a defensive stance. Sam threw himself behind the counter to grab the guns hidden there.

 

Tony was about to say something to Peter when the second bomb exploded near them. They were both thrown into the walls before crashing to the ground.

 

Peter felt an explosion of pain in his back. He didn’t know how, but he was still conscious, even though stars were dancing in front of his eyes. A piece of the wall fell on him and suddenly he was back on the beach again. His breathing quickened as he desperately tried to move. He regretted leaving his suit in his room. Thankfully, he still had his web shooters. He could hear Natasha, Clint and Sam shooting through the windows, but he couldn’t see who, or what, was attacking them.

 

“FRIDAY! Lock the place down!” He heard Bruce yelling.

 

Suddenly, iron curtains replaced the broken windows, and the sound of the guns stopped. Peter tried to get up, but it felt like someone was stabbing him in the back repeatedly, his vision was still blurry and he felt dizzy, almost nauseous. He called Tony in a weak voice. The teenager felt a hand gently touching his shoulder.

 

“It’s okay, Peter. You’re safe. Don’t move for now.” It was Bruce who was talking with a soothing voice.

 

“Tony? Where’s Tony? I want him.” Peter pleaded, feeling like he was dying.

 

"Peter, you need to stay still while I'm checking your back for injuries." Bruce repeated calmly. Too calmly.

 

Refusing to obey, the teenager pushed on his arms. Finally, and despite Bruce's protests, he managed to get on his knees. Now he could see the room.

 

The others were mostly unharmed, although Sam was holding his right arm tight against his chest with a grimace. Natasha and Clint were talking to FRIDAY to understand what just happened. And Tony…

 

Tony was lying on the ground, a pool of blood below him. He was perfectly still. Peter could feel Bruce's arms holding him back as he tried to run to him, his voice telling him that he called help, that Tony would be fine. But he didn’t know that. How could he?

 

The teenager didn’t know when he started crying, or how to stop the scream that tore at this throat.

 

“DAD!”

 

* * *

 

 

His head felt like he drank a whole liquor store.

 

When he opened his eyes, everything was too bright and too noisy, even though the room was completely silent, except for a beeping noise. Tony tried to lift his hand to rub his temple, but he quickly found out that his arm, his hands, his fingers…well, everything hurt.

 

“You’re awake. Good.” A relieved voice said beside him.

 

He slowly turned his head to see Bruce who was looking at him with a small smile.

 

“You really had me worried, you know? You had a concussion and you wouldn’t wake up. Peter was completely freaking out, I had to remove him from the room.”

 

At these words, Tony’s eyes widened. Peter!

 

“The kid?! Is he okay?!” Tony asked, panicked.

 

“Relax, Tony, he’s fine. Just a few broken ribs which healed quickly. He was lucky you were closer to the bomb. No offense.”

 

“None taken. Can I see him?” Tony pressed.

 

“Sure, he’s probably eavesdropping anyway, even though I told him to get some sleep. Peter, you can come in!”

 

Sheepishly, Peter opened the door and, as soon as he saw that Tony was awake, he ran to him.

 

“Tony! Are you okay? I was so worried! Do you want some water? Or maybe something to eat? I can-“

 

“Slow down, kiddo. I’m fine.” Tony laughed. Or at least tried to, because all he could do was coughing.

 

“You’re not exactly fine, Tony. You’re still hurt, and you need to stay in bed for at least a week.”

 

Tony started whining that he would probably die of boredom if he stayed that long in bed, but Bruce was adamant. Peter just stared silently at Tony with adoring eyes.

 

“By the way, do you know what happened? Who attacked us? And how did they do it, we were on the 25th floor?” Tony asked more seriously.

 

“FRIDAY is still looking into it, but so far we’ve got nothing. Nat and Clint are on it.”

 

With a glance at Peter, Bruce excused himself and left the room.

 

“I’m glad you’re okay, kid-“

 

Tony didn’t have the time to finish his sentence because Peter attacked him with a hug. The billionaire did his best to hug him back despite the aching in his arms.

 

“Please don’t do that to me ever again. I thought you were dead for a second, and it was the worst second of my life.” Peter whispered in a watery voice, and Tony hugged him tighter.

 

“I’m sorry for scaring you, son. But you shouldn’t worry about me, I’m hard to kill.”

 

Peter stayed silent for a while, before saying :

 

“I’ve already lost my father and my uncle, I can’t lose you too.” Tony could feel his heart breaking for this kid who was so young, but had already lost so much. He couldn’t help seeing himself in him.

 

“I swear to God I’ll never you alone, kid.” Tony said firmly.

 

“You don’t believe in God, Tony.” Peter laughed weakly.

 

“Fair enough. You want me to swear on something that matters?”

 

Tony felt Peter nod against his shoulder.

 

“Fine. I swear on you, Peter.” 

 


	7. Accidently Drunk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for my short absence, here's a slighty longer chapter to make up for it!

Bruce wasn’t exactly right, it didn’t take Tony a week to get better. It took two. By the end of the first week, Bruce refused to enter the room, saying that if he did, he might kill Tony. The billionaire ended up getting a giant flat screen set up in his room, arguing that ‘if I have to stay in this bed, you can bet I’m going to watch all the Star Wars movies. Or is having fun also forbidden, Bruce?’

 

Although Peter insisted on staying with him, his aunt quickly reminded him that he was still a student and that he needed to go to school. Peter reluctantly agreed and promised Tony he would be back by the end of the week. Going back to school wasn't all that useful, because no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't focus on any of his classes. All he could think about was how he should be by Tony's side.

 

That night kept replaying in his head. He could remember every single detail. The sound of the glass when the windows broke. The smell of the smoke filling his lungs. The sensation of helplessness. The push Tony gave him to shove him out of harm's way.

 

Peter almost fell from his chair in physics class.

 

How could he have forgotten something like that?! It had all been very confusing, but he clearly remembered now Tony trying to tell him something (probably to move) and pushing him away. That was why Tony had been so hurt. It was his fault.

 

Suddenly feeling sick, Peter grabbed his backpack and get up.

 

“Dude, are you alright?” Ned whispered beside him, but Peter ignored him walked toward the door.

 

“M. Parker? What are you doing?” His surprised teacher asked.

 

“I'm sorry, I gotta go.” Peter said hurriedly, leaving the room.

 

He heard a voice calling out his name, but he didn't stop. He wouldn't stop until he had some answers.

 

* * *

 

 

“Peter? Shouldn't you be at school?” Bruce asked, taken aback by Peter's appearance.

 

“I know, I know, I shouldn't be here, but I need to talk to Tony. Is he in his room?”

 

“He's not allowed to leave it, so yeah, he should be. Is May aware that you're here?”

 

“No, and please don't tell her. She's going to get a phone call from my school anyway.” He was so grounded.

 

Bruce didn't seem convinced but he nodded anyway. He didn't want Peter to feel like he couldn't trust him.

 

Peter practically ran to his mentor's room. He opened the door wide and found Tony asleep. Silently, the teenager closed the door, brought a chair closer to the bed and decided to wait for him to wake up. His phone vibrated, but he was a bit scared to look at the screen. Grimacing, he saw that he had two missed calls from Ned and...five missed calls from May.

 

He was completely, utterly screwed.

 

* * *

 

 

When Tony started to wake up, he felt a pressure on his right hand. Afraid that it might be handcuffs (he had really annoyed Bruce after all), he abruptly opened his eyes. Instead of handcuffs, he found Peter, reading a science book with his hand resting on his.

 

“Pete? What are you doing here?” Tony croaked. He frowned. That did not sound like his voice. He reached out to the glass of water on his night table. _What wouldn't I give for a scotch right now?_

 

“You're awake! Did I wake you up? I'm sorry if I did.” He did not move his hand, and Tony didn't ask him to. Instead, he turned his hand and took Peter's in his.

 

“Nah, I slept for too long anyway. Now, maybe my vision is not what it used to be and it's not 3pm, but shouldn't you be at that infernal den you call school?”

 

“Yeah, but I needed to talk to you.”

 

“That sounds serious. What is it? Are you in trouble?” Tony asked, instantly going into Dad Mode.

 

“No! I’m not in trouble but…I remembered something. From that night. Did you…did you push me away from the bomb?”

 

Tony stared silently at Peter for a moment.

 

“Yes, I did. Why?”

 

“What do you mean, why?! You got hurt because of me! If I hadn’t been there-“

 

“I would have gotten hurt anyway.” Tony interrupted. “Son, protecting you was my choice, it’s not on you. Besides, even knowing the consequences, I would do it all over again if I had to.”

 

Peter squeezed Tony’s hand and, for once, wished that his mentor didn’t love him as much as he did.

 

* * *

 

 

Two agonizing days later, Tony was finally completely healed. To celebrate his return, he threw a (little, for once) party. Just the Avengers and a few friends, he promised.

 

Tony was discussing with Bruce when a beaming Clint tapped on his shoulder.

 

“Hey, Tony! I think you should check on your kid.” The archer laughed openly.

 

Tony raised an eyebrow. What could Peter have done this time?

 

“What? Is he stuck on the ceiling again?”

 

“Nope. But it seems like he accidently drank some of Thor’s Asgardian mead. Now he’s hugging everyone.”

 

Tony cursed under his breath. May was going to kill him if she found out her nephew got drunk on his watch.

 

“Where is he now?” Tony pressed.

 

“Last time I saw him he was hugging Steve. It was hilarious.”

 

Tony ignored Clint’s comment and ran to the other room where the rest of the team was.

Like Clint described, Peter was holding on to Steve for dear life. The soldier seemed both embarrassed and amused by the situation. The others were simply laughing at the scene.

 

“You know Cap, you’re my favorite Avenger. You’ve always been.” Peter said drunkenly, his speech slurred.

 

“Kiddo? You’re okay there?” Tony asked carefully.

 

The teenager let go of Steve and turned to Tony. The billionaire sighed. Peter’s face was red, his eyes were glossy and he seemed unbalanced. As soon as he saw him, Peter ran to Tony to hug him firmly.

 

“Tony! You’re here! Missed you!” Peter exclaimed merrily.

 

“You saw me five minutes ago, kiddo...Yet it was enough for you to get wasted.” Tony said lightly, rolling his eyes and returning the hug.

 

“I always miss you when you’re not here, dad.” Peter said, burying his head into Tony’s neck.

 

Tony froze. Did he hear that correctly? Seeing that the others were staring at them, Tony cleared his throat.

 

“Okay, kid. You need to go to bed. Now.”

 

Without giving him the time to answer, Tony took Peter in his arms. The teenager was for too happy to be held to protest. He simply leant into Tony’s embrace.

 

“Say goodnight to the team.” Tony said, already walking out the door.

 

“Goodnight team!”

 

Tony smiled. Drunk Peter was pretty cute.

 

* * *

 

 

Tony brought Peter to his own room, Peter’s being further away. He gently put Peter under the covers of the neatly made bed. The teenager was slowly falling asleep, muttering nonsense under his breath.

 

Tony managed to understand a few words.

 

“Love you, dad.”

 

The billionaire smiled, tucking him in.

 

“Love you too, son. Goodnight.”

 

Tony hesitated for a second, but he silently left the room.

 

Watching Peter sleep would be too creepy, anyway.

 


	8. Worthy?

“The kid isn’t awake yet?” Steve asked, cup of coffee in hand. It was nearly noon, and everyone was in the kitchen. Well, everyone except for Peter, who was still probably nursing his hangover in Tony’s room.

 

“Nope. I put a bottle of water and some aspirin on the night table, but I don’t think we’ll see much of him today. By the way, Thor” Tony started with a sugary voice. “Can you tell me why my kid was able to drink YOUR alcohol? You didn’t give it to him, did you?”

 

“Of course not, my friend! I understand there is some sort of age limit for alcohol in this world. Peter must have mistaken my glass for his. For that, I am sorry. But he is fine, right?” Thor insisted. He knew how much his friend cared about the kid, and the last thing he wanted was to upset him. Plus, Protective Tony could be a little scary.

 

Tony nodded slowly, accepting his explanation. It was probably a mistake. He had been a little worried about Peter, not knowing how his metabolism would handle the alcohol, but so far he was reacting like a normal person. Good. Perhaps May wasn’t going to murder him after all.

 

“By the way, where’s your insufferable brother? Brooding in his room?” Natasha asked, stealthily stealing a sip of Clint’s coffee in front of his nose.

 

“I have not seen him this morning. I suppose he must be reading somewhere.” Thor explained vaguely.

* * *

 

 

 _I’m never going to drink ever, ever again._ Peter thought miserably, swallowing the aspirin with some water.

 

He had woken up thirty minutes ago, feeling like someone had thrown him under a bus. After five good minutes of moaning and groaning, he decided that getting a breakfast would be a good idea. Then he looked at the clock.

 

_Lunch, then._

 

Barely noticing he was in Tony’s room, he slowly left the bedroom and headed toward the elevator.

 

Inside, he leaned his forehead against the mirror, reveling in the coldness it offered. He had rarely felt so bad in his entire life. A minute later, the elevator stopped and someone walked in. Peter glanced behind his shoulders and groaned. Not him. Not now.

 

“Are you about to throw up? Please refrain.” Loki said matter-of-factly.

 

“Not right now, Loki, please. I think my head is about to explode.” Peter moaned pitifully.

 

Loki stared at the teenager before sighing. Humans. So weak. Without a word, he reached for Peter’s shoulder and turned him around. He looked like he was about to cry. The god put two fingers on Peter’s forehead, and suddenly his mind was cleared.

 

Peter blinked. The headache was gone! He felt good! Loki…healed him. That sounded suspicious. Peter looked hesitantly at the raven-haired god and whispered a thank you.

 

“You’re welcome. Maybe next time you’ll stick to orange juice or something like that. Clearly you don’t have what it takes to drink Asgardian mead.”

 

Peter was about to respond (something witty, of course), when the door opened with a small noise.

 

 _Forget it. Loki is just being...well, Loki._ Peter thought while leaving the elevator.

 

"There you are, kiddo! Does your head hurt?" Tony asked when he saw Peter enter the room.

 

"I'm fine, Loki cured my headache." Peter said. He wanted to seat near Thor to ask him what on earth was that drink from last night, but his hammer was on the chair. Shrugging, he picked it up and put it on the ground next to the chair.

 

"Does a hungover always hurt like that? Because I'm never drinking aga- why are you all staring at me like that?" Peter asked, startled to see everyone gaping at him.

 

The whole team was looking at him, eyes wide open. Clint, who had a slice of pizza in his hand, let it drop on his plate. There was a complete silence in the room. Tony was the only one who didn't seem shocked.

 

"Did...Did I do something wrong? Am I not allowed to touch the hammer ? I'm sorry, I didn't know! Here!" Peter quickly picked it up again and held it up for Thor.

 

The God of Thunder burst out laughing.

 

“Well, that was unexpected.” He laughed.

 

“That's unfair! Why can't I lift the damn thing?!” Clint moaned.

 

“Let's face it, Birdie. You're just not worthy, Peter is.” Tony teased. He didn't even try to hide the pride in his voice.

 

“Worthy? What are you talking about?” Peter was completely lost. He knew Mjölnir was a magical hammer, but he thought it was because it allowed Thor to fly and create thunder.

 

“Thor's hammer can always be lifted by those who are worthy. Congrats kiddo, you are a better person than all of us.” Natasha smirked.

 

Peter's eyes widened as he looked at the hammer in his hand. It wasn't even all that heavy. Tentatively, he threw it in the air and caught it. Wow. That was insanely cool. He couldn't wait to tell Ned about that.

 

“Wait, what do you mean better than you? None of you can lift it?” Peter realized as he looked at the team.

 

“Nope. But to be honest kiddo, I'm not surprised you can. If there's anyone here who's worthy, it's you.” Tony said fondly as he ruffled Peter's hair.

 

Peter smiled, embarrassed, and put Mjölnir back on the ground.

 

“So...Does it mean I'm allowed to go on missions with you guys now?”

 

“No!” Everyone in the room replied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Layla_159 for giving me this idea :) Hope you liked it.


	9. Nightmare

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this chapter is a little shorter because I have a huge headache and I don't have the courage to write more today. I promise the next chapter will be longer. Also, I watched Justice League today, and it was good!

Everything was burning. Everything was silent.

 

It was the end. The Apocalypse. The heroes failed and darkness won. They couldn’t stop it. They couldn’t stop _him_. They tried. And here was the result.

 

The others were on the ground, deadly still. Natasha’s skull was split open, Clint’s face was barely recognizable. Two parts of a shield were resting on the ground a little further away. And even Bruce...

 

But it wasn’t that sight that stopped his heart. No.

 

It was his son being crushed against a wall. It was the whimper that escaped his throat as the Titan laughed. It was the helplessness he felt as he watched the scene unfold.

 

“Peter. Peter.” Tony moaned, crawling toward him, his arm reaching out. This couldn’t be happening.

 

How could he be losing his family again?

 

“Dad.” Peter called desperately. “Please help me.” His tear-stained cheeks were getting redder and redder due to the lack of oxygen.

 

“Peter!” He was crying too.

 

This couldn’t be the end. He tried to get up, but his legs weren’t responding.

 

“It turns out, none of you were good enough. What a pity.” Thanos spat, tightening his grip on Peter’s throat.

 

That’s when Tony heard a neck snapping. That’s when his world turned black.

 

“PETER!” Tony screamed, sweat dripping from his forehead, legs tangled in his sheets.

 

Throwing away the blanket, Tony stumbled out of the room. There was only one thing on his mind. He had to see his kid. He knew, deep down, that it was just a nightmare. But he had to be sure. He couldn’t go back to sleep until he was sure.

 

He practically ran to Peter’s room and entered the room without knocking. Of course, the noise woke up the teenager who sleepily blinked at the figure in the doorway. Peter rubbed his eyes before turning to Tony and leaning on his elbow.

 

“Tony? What are you doing here?”

 

Tony ignored his question and kneeled on the ground in front of Peter. He put his trembling hands on his cheeks and leant his forehead against his. Peter was alive. He was safe. It was all that mattered.

 

“Tony?” Peter asked hesitantly.

 

“Bad dreams.” Tony answered simply.

 

“Oh. I see.”

 

They stayed like this for what could have been hours. Finally, Peter pulled back long enough to lift his blanket. He silently invited Tony to get into the bed. The billionaire didn’t need to be asked twice.

 

“Promise me you won’t tell anyone about this. Or Clint will tease me for the rest of time.” Tony joked lightly after a moment of silence. He felt Peter giggle more than he heard him.

 

“Yeah, don’t worry. Wouldn’t want to destroy your reputation.” Peter replied on the same tone. “But… do you want to talk about it?”

 

“Nah. I don’t want to bother you with that. It was just a silly nightmare.”

 

Peter turned to face Tony.

 

“You’re sure? I’ve never seen you like that.”

 

Tony stared at him with a look Peter couldn’t decipher.

 

“Don’t worry kid. Everything will be fine. You’ll be safe. I promise.”

 

Peter looked at him curiously, waiting for him to explain himself. But Tony just closed his eyes and turned away. The teenager sighed, wishing his mentor could be more talkative about his feelings.

 

 

Once he was sure Peter was sound asleep, Tony put his arm around him and held him tight. That way, he was sure he was safe.

 

He loved this kid so damn much. He couldn’t imagine a world without him.

 

Thankfully, it was just a nightmare.

 

Right?


	10. Fight

The morning after Tony slept in Peter’s room was surprisingly calm. He honestly expected the whole team, or Clint at least, to make remarks about him leaving his kid's room at 7am. Maybe something about him being too attached.

 

When he left the room, hair disheveled and obviously still sleepy, Tony headed straight to the kitchen to drink a well-deserved cup of coffee. Steve and Clint were the only ones there. Tony vaguely waved at them, which made them smile. The billionaire wasn't exactly a morning person.

 

“Please tell me you made coffee.” Tony moaned, rubbing his temples.

 

“Don't worry, we've got your back.” Clint said, holding out a cup of coffee.

 

“Thank God!” Tony exclaimed, grateful for his thoughtful friends.

 

They sat there in silence, which surprised Tony.

 

“Seriously? No comments? No witty remarks? I have to say, you disappoint me Birdie.” Tony teased

 

Clint rolled his eyes but Steve answered for him.

 

“We all have nightmares Tony. We all have our own ways of dealing with them. And we're not surprised that Peter is yours.”

 

Tony nodded. That made sense. Lately, he started to unconsciously reach out to Peter whenever he was stressed or confused. The kid seemed to have a soothing effect on him.

 

“Anyway, I hope you had enough sleep, because we've been called for a mission this morning. We leave in an hour.” Steve announced.

 

Tony groaned. He was not in the mood for a mission. And that also meant he wouldn't see Peter today. Great.

 

That was the moment Peter chose to enter the room, still in his PJ's. He looked so much like a child Tony thought his heart was going to break from all this cuteness.

 

“Hey kiddo. Did you sleep well?” Tony asked fondly over his coffee cup.

 

“Mmmh yeah. You?” Peter yawned.

 

“Pretty good, thank you about that.” He said, ruffling his hair affectionally.

 

“Don't mention it.” Peter replied while opening the fridge.

 

“You should eat something Tony, it’s not good to leave for a mission with an empty stomach.” Steve warned.

 

Peter quickly turned around with a wide smile on his face.

 

“You’re going on a mission?! Can I come, please? I want to help. I just need to grab my suit and-”

 

“You’re not coming with us Peter.” Tony proclaimed firmly.

 

“But why?” Peter whined, hands on the counter. “I could be useful, you know that!”

 

“That’s too risky. Besides, I promise your aunt I wouldn’t put you in danger. So you’re staying here and…I don’t know, do your homework!”

 

Without waiting for an answer, Tony turned around and prepared to leave the room. He didn’t see Peter’s knuckles turning white as his fist tightened on the counter. But Steve and Clint did and knew something bad was going to happen.

 

“You don’t trust me.” Peter said softly.

 

That stopped Tony.

 

“What?”

 

“You don’t trust me. You never let me help even though I’m stronger than you. You treat me like a child even now. That’s why you put the Training Wheels Protocol in my suit.”

 

“I created that protocol to protect you! And you should be happy I did, you would have drown without it!” Tony replied sharply.

 

“I don’t need training wheels! Stop treating me like a child!”

 

“Then stop acting like one!”

 

“Maybe you’re the one who should stop acting like you're my dad!”

 

The silence that followed was deafening. Steve and Clint didn’t dare to move or say anything, afraid of Tony’s backlash. The billionaire was standing still, unblinking, staring at Peter with piercing eyes. The teenager was too caught up in his anger to feel bad.

 

“Fine. I won’t act like your dad. I’ll act like your boss then.” Then he turned around. “FRIDAY, M. Parker is not allowed to leave this building until I return. If May calls, tell her he is grounded.”

 

Tony walked toward the elevator with determined tread, ignoring his teammates’ voices calling him or Peter’s screams.

 

The elevator’s doors closed behind him, but not before he heard the words:

 

“You have no right to ground me! You’re not my dad!”

 

When Tony arrived to the Quinjet an hour later, Steve and Clint were already there. They tried not to look at him, and failed. Tony sat on one of the chairs without a word. He had already put his armor on, so they couldn’t see his face.

 

“Tony? You’re alright?” Steve asked hesitantly. The billionaire was rarely so silent.

 

He took a moment to answer, and when he did he said:

 

“Do you remember the time a beast crushed me to the ground and most of my ribs were broken? You guy brought me back to the Quinjet on a stretcher and asked me how much pain I was in on a scale of 1 to 10. I said 9, because I honestly thought I was dying.”

 

He then put his head in his hands.

 

“This is 10.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because who never fights with their parents? Also, I never set a foot in a hospital (thank God), but doctors do ask patients to measure their pain right? And, yes, this is a reference to The Faults In Our Stars, because I loved the book and I loved the movie.  
> Finally, I just want to let you guys know that I won't post from Friday to Sunday!


	11. Aftermath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I hope you had a nice weekend. Here's a little angst for you.

Peter was furiously pacing in his room. He had tried to leave the building (using the doors AND the windows), but FRIDAY blocked him every single time. He begged the AI to let him leave, at least let him return to May’s. But the answer was no.

 

Peter was still reeling, his fist clenching and unclenching at his sides. He was so enraged at the idea that, after all he’s done, after almost dying on a beach to protect Tony’s possessions, he still didn’t recognized him as a hero, as one of them.

 

_How could he treat me like that!? I’m almost 16! I can stop a bus with my bare hands, he can’t baby me like that!_

 

_How dare Dad-_

 

Peter’s steps faltered. Suddenly he was replaying the conversation in his mind as if it had been someone else’s.

 

_Maybe you’re the one who should stop acting like you're my dad!_

 

_You have no right to ground me! You’re not my dad!_

 

Peter sunk into the bed, realizing what he said. He had been so angry at that time, all he wanted was to make Tony feel how he felt. But he didn’t want him to think he didn’t love him.

 

But how could Tony know?

 

_Does he hate me now? Is he going to take the suit back again? Is he going to kick me out of the team?_

 

Even though he technically wasn’t his dad, Peter still called him that in his mind. And he might have let it slipped once or twice.

 

_Have I ruined everything?_

 

The AI's voice startled him and ripped him from his thoughts.

 

“Mr.Parker? M.Rogers, Mr.Barton and Mr.Stark have returned safely. You can now leave the building if you'd like.”

 

He didn't need to be told twice.

 

* * *

 

Tony couldn't remember the last time he felt that exhausted. All he wanted was to grab a drink, sleep, and talk to Peter. Mostly talk to Peter.

 

He was thinking about what he would say to his kid when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around to see Steve with a small smile on his face.

 

“Everything will be okay, Tony. Just talk to him. He will listen to you.”

 

“Yeah, I wouldn't be so sure about that. That kid is as stubborn as-”

 

“As you?” Steve smirked.

 

Tony rolled his eyes.

 

“Possibly. And that's saying something. But you're right. I'm going to fix this.”

 

Steve nodded and turned around to help Clint, who had sprained his ankle during the mission, out of the Quinjet.

 

* * *

 

Tony realized he was nervous when he knocked on Peter's door. He wasn't sure what he was going to tell him. That he was sorry? That Peter should listen to him?

 

That, no matter what Peter might say, he would always see him as his son?

 

The billionaire sighed, then frowned. There wasn't any sound coming from the room. He knocked again, louder this time.

 

“Peter? You're here? It's me, Tony. Can we talk? Please?”

 

Once again, the silence answered him.

 

_Screw this, I own this place._

 

Tony quickly opened the door and walked inside the room.

 

“Peter? Are you here?” 

 

He checked the bathroom, but it was becoming all too clear that the teenager wasn't here. He then noticed the opened window.

 

_He fled through the window. That's how much he doesn't want to talk to me anymore._

 

Tony slowly sat on Peter's bed and put his head in his hands.

 

_Congratulations, Tony. You're officially no better than your father._

 

* * *

 

 

May was in the kitchen, preparing the diner when Peter came home. She was surprised to hear Peter open the door, she thought he was going to stay at the compound all weekend like he usually did.

 

But she was even more surprised when she felt Peter's arms around her and his head on her shoulder blade. 

 

“Pete? What's going on, sweetheart?” May inquired without turning around. She could feel Peter's arms trembling around her and she knew he was probably crying. She knew how much he hated crying in front of someone, so she didn't move. When he finally spoke, his voice was small and croaky.

 

“May...I think I just lost my dad again.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked it! And if you have ideas or requests, I'd be happy to hear them!  
> I also wanted to ask you guys a question. You don't have to answer if you don't want to. I've noticed some of you telling me that you read my fanfiction when you wake up or before you sleep. I usually post at 10pm here in France, so I wanted to ask you: In which country do you live? I'm just curious.


	12. Reunion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, I hope you had/will have a good day! Here's the new chapter.

A week.

  


It’s been a whole week since Peter had last spoken to Tony. And he still felt as awful as he did that day. He knew he should have contacted him, but he just didn’t know what to say.

  


_Sorry for being a brat, can you go back to being my dad please?_

  


Peter sighed and tried to focus on his history class. He wasn’t very successful considering he didn’t even know what the lesson was about. It was only when Steve’s face appeared on the board that he realized the lesson was about World War II. Peter liked his history teacher, but there was no way he could make this lesson more interesting than an actual conversation with Captain America. Steve had talked to him about the war before and had confided in him that it was nice to talk to someone who didn’t tiptoe around the topic. Although Peter was not exactly a history buff, he had been fascinated by the Super-Soldier’s stories of a time that was now long-gone.

  


_Who knows when I will be able to talk to an Avenger again?_

  


Peter must have looked as terrible as he felt, because Ned gave him a slight nudge and whispered to him:

  


“You’re sure you’re alright, Peter? You look like you’re about to throw up.” Ned asked, concerned.

  


“I’m fine. I’m just tired.” Peter mumbled.

  


That part was true. He spent always every night this week patrolling and he had trouble falling asleep. He blamed his conscience and his stubbornly silent phone.

  


“You do look pretty awful.” Ned whispered, unapologetic.

  


“Thanks Ned, I feel so much better after talking to you.” Peter rolled his eyes, tapping his pen against his desk, eyes fixed on the clock.

  


Ned shrugged and went back to listening to the lesson. At least Peter knew he could count on him for the history test next week.

 

After an excruciatingly long hour of math, the bell finally rang. All Peter wanted was to go back home and watch Doctor Who on his computer.

  


“Hey! Want to hang out?” Ned asked as they left the building.

  


“Thanks but I think I’ll just head home. As you so kindly mentioned, I need rest.” Peter answered sarcastically.

  


“Yeah, you're- Oh my God!” Ned screamed, grabbing Peter's arm.

  


Peter didn't even need to ask Ned what was going on. Right in front of them was a crowd of students yelling enthusiastically. And in the middle of this crowd was Captain America.

  


Peter's jaw dropped. What was Steve doing at his school?!

  


“Dude, is that Captain America?” Ned whispered/shouted.

  


Peter nodded numbly. Steve, who was smiling and signing autographs, quickly noticed him and waved at him.

  


“Peter! Come here!” Steve shouted over all the screams.

  


Peter, who didn't understand what was happening, obeyed and joined Steve among his fellow students.

  


“Steve, what's going on? Why are you here?” Peter pressed.

  


“We'll talk in the car, come on.” Steve said as he opened the door of the car behind him.

  


Peter entered the car quickly and waited for Steve to get in. He glanced at Ned who was waving excitedly. He waved back with a little smile.

  


When Steve closed the door, Peter didn't know what to expect. So he asked the first, and only, thing on his mind.

  


“How is Tony?” He asked, his voice trembling a little.

  


“That's what I want to talk to you about.” Steve answered firmly.

  


Peter started to panic. Did something happen to the billionaire while Peter was away? Was he hurt?

  


“Is he alright?! Did he get hurt during a mission?!”

  


“Calm down Pete, Tony is…unharmed.” Steve hesitated.

  


_Strange choice of words._ Peter thought briefly.

  


“What do you mean ‘unharmed’?

  


Steve sighed but stayed focused on the road, searching for the right words.

  


“Tony…he’s hurting. Your fight really upset him. He locked himself in his lab since we came back and I’m starting to worry about him. He’s not taking care of himself. So you two are going to talk and make up .”

  


Peter sank deeper into his seat and dropped his head in shame. His behavior had hurt Tony and worried Steve.

  


“I’ll fix this, I promise you.” Peter said softly.

  


Steve glanced at him and threw him a small satisfied smile.

  


“I know you will Pete.”

 

“FRIDAY, can you let me in?” Peter asked the AI as he stood in front of the lab’s door. He wasn’t expecting much, if Tony asked FRIDAY to lock the door, then it probably won’t open.

  


Surprisingly, Peter heard the door unlock. He gently pushed it and discovered the lab in complete disarray. Tony wasn’t exactly a tidy person, but this was too much. There were test tubes on the ground and measuring instruments hanging on a coat rack. And in front of a desk, his back turned to him, was Tony.

  


“I’ve already told you, Bruce. I’m not hungry. Or tired. So thanks, but no thanks.” Tony said flatly.

  


Peter cleared his throat nervously.

  


“Well, sorry to disappoint, but I’m not Bruce.” The teenager half-joked.

  


Tony whipped around, clearly surprised to see Peter there.

  


The billionaire looked even more awful than him. His hair was a complete mess, his eyes were red from the lack of sleep and he was so pale he looked sick. His clothes were wrinkly and Peter could see several bottles of whiskey on the desk behind him.

  


_What have I done?_

  


“Pete? I...I didn't think I would see you today.” Tony stuttered before he rubbed a hand over his tired eyes.

  


“Yeah, I know, Cap brought me here.”

  


“That little snitch, I told him to mind his own business for a while. I will teach him to-”

  


Peter cut him off by crossing the distance between them and throwing his arms around him.

  


“I missed you so freaking much Dad.” Peter whispered, making sure that he wasn't crushing Tony in the process.

  


Immediately, Tony relaxed in his arms, returned the hug and closed his eyes. He finally felt the tension leaving his body after a week of confusion and self blame. His kid was in his arms again.

  


“I missed you too son.”

  


They stayed like this for a moment before Tony slowly pulled back. He kept his hands on Peter's shoulders.

  


“Listen kiddo. This can't happen again. We need rules. So about this: I let you go on some missions with us where you do exactly what I say, and when I tell you to go back to the Quinjet, you obey immediately. But when I tell you to stay here because it's too dangerous, you have to listen to me. I'm not doing this because I don't trust you, I know how amazing you are, kid. Trust me, I do. I'm leaving you behind because I know the risks. Last time, Cap and I both took some serious hits and Clint sprained his ankle like the stupid bird brain he is. I don't want to expose you to any danger because I can't bear the idea of losing you. Do you understand?”

  


Peter nodded quickly, his throat tight. He thought he'd lost Tony this week, the feeling was not a pleasant one.

  


Peter looked down, not daring to look Tony in the eyes.

  


“...I'm sorry. About what I said. Of course you’re my dad. If that’s what you want.”

  


Tony smiled softly at the teenager and leaned his forehead against his.

  


“There’s nothing I want more.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked it, and if you did, or if you have any ideas for what you'd like me to write next, please leave a comment!


	13. Parent-Teacher Conference

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry I didn't post yesterday, I was out with friends all day and I couldn't write like I wanted to. Hope you'll like it!

It was a few days later that Tony received May’s call. He was working on one of his suit, hunched over a desk. When the phone first rang, he ignored it. After he glanced at the screen, he sighed, wondering what he could have done wrong this time, and picked it up.

 

“May! What can I do for you today? Peter isn’t in trouble, right?” Tony asked, cradling the phone between his head and his shoulder.

 

“Not that I know of, but we never know with Peter. I actually wanted to ask you a favor.” May answered quickly.

 

“Sure, ask away.”

 

“Would you mind going to Peter’s parent-teacher conference tomorrow? I have to work, so I can’t go. I mean, if you’re not too busy...”

 

“Absolutely not! You know, I’m glad that you include me in that kind of stuff.” Tony said, appreciating May’s efforts to give him some bonding time with Peter.

 

“Don’t thank me yet, parent-teacher conferences are usually pretty boring.” May laughed. “It starts at 5pm, I told Peter you would be there, so don’t be late!”

 

* * *

 

 

Even though Tony believed in being fashionably late, he made sure to be in front of Midtown High School on time. He even left the compound half an hour earlier to avoid traffic. Of course, before leaving, he had to run into Natasha and Clint who congratulated him on his parenting with big stupid grins on their faces. Once in his car, he asked FRIDAY to remind him to replace their usual wake up alarm by Black Sabbath songs. Just to teach them to make fun of him.

 

Tony entered the building under the incredulous gazes of students, parents and teachers. He tried to find Peter quickly, eager to talk to his teachers. The kid often talked to him about school and homework, and he wanted to be more involved in this part of his life.

 

_I don’t think my father ever went to a parent-teacher conference. Nah, he was always too busy._

 

Considering the size of the building, Tony sent Peter a text.

 

‘ _I’m here, kiddo. Where are you?’_

 

‘ _I’m in Room 112, please be quick, my math teacher is starting to look a bit like Bruce on a bad day.’_

 

Tony smirked and hurried to the room on the other side of the hallway. Opening the door, he felt like he was back to high school himself. The only thing missing was a teacher telling him that he was late.

 

“M. Stark! You’re late!” Someone, probably Peter’s math teacher, exclaimed. Tony took off his sunglasses as he sat next to a nervous looking Peter in front of the desk. The man in front of them was probably 50, with gray hair and glasses. He also looked pretty annoyed.

 

“I’m actually one minute late, I couldn’t find the room. You’re alright Pete?” Tony glanced at his kid who smiled weakly at him.

 

“I was just telling M. Parker that he really needs to change his attitude in class. Last week, he fell asleep during one my classes.” 

 

“That’s probably because it was boring.” Tony deadpanned.

 

Peter barely held back his laughter. The teacher looked like he was about to explode.

 

“I beg your pardon?!”

 

“Look, no offense, but between a boring math class at 8am and an afternoon in StarkLabs, what would you pick? Besides, I'm sure this is not affecting his grades, right?”

 

“No, M. Parker is still top of the class.” He conceded reluctantly.

 

“See? Is there something else you wished to complain about?”

 

Peter was screaming in joy internally. This was going so much better than planned.

 

“Well...”

 

“No? Good? What's next kiddo?” Tony pressed.

 

“We still have to talk to my sports coach, my Spanish teacher and my sociology teacher?”

 

“That's the one who sent you to the principal, right?” Tony asked with a smirk.

 

“Yep.”

“Oh, this is gonna be fun.” Tony laughed.

The next two teachers only had good things to say about Peter's performances in school, and Tony felt more proud after each meetings. He himself hadn't been the best student in high school, knowing that no matter his attitude, his name would get him into college anyway. Peter wasn't like that, and he definitely had the abilities to go to the college of his choice. The teenager hadn't really talked to him about college yet, even though he was in Junior year. Tony made a mental note to have this conversation with him later.

 

They were walking toward their last meeting when Tony felt his phone vibrating in his pocket. Steve was calling him.

 

“Sorry kiddo, I have to answer that. Give me a minute.” Tony said while ruffling Peter’s hair.

 

Peter walked away to give Tony some privacy, a giant grin on his face. He leaned against the lockers and crossed his arms, his head resting against his locker. He was so happy that Tony came to his school, listened to his teachers and asked them questions about him. And watching him act like his father...it was a dream come true.

 

“Hey, Penis Parker!” A voice shouted.

 

Peter sighed. _Why, of all the people in the school, do I have have to run into Flash all the time?_

 

“Why do you want, Flash? I’m not in the mood to deal with your stupidity right now.” Peter replied, already annoyed.

 

“Why, did you miss a date with your good friend Spider-Man?” Flash teased with a stupid satisfied grin on his face.

 

Peter didn’t answer, knowing that revealing his secret identity would be dangerous and childish. He just wished he knew a way to get back at Flash without putting himself, and everyone he loved, in danger.

 

“Seriously, what will you come up with next time? That you have movie nights with Iron Man and War Machine every Sunday night?”

 

Peter gritted his teeth, his jaw tight, but he stayed silent, his gaze fixed on the wall in front of him.

 

“Hey, are you listening to me, Parker?!” Flash snapped, grabbing Peter by the collar.

 

Peter barely felt Flash’s fingers gripping his clothes when they were violently ripped off him. A moment later, Flash was slammed into the lockers by a very angry-looking Tony Stark.

 

“If I ever see you raising a hand against my son again, I will have you expelled from this school and I’ll make sure that every single college in this country knows about your little bullying. I will ruin your life. Do you understand?” Tony said way too calmly.

 

Flash, who was obviously terrified with his eyes and mouth wide open, nodded hurriedly. Tony stared at him a moment longer before releasing him. As soon as his hand left his shoulder, Flash raced through the hallway to leave the building. Immediately, Tony turned to Peter and put a hand on his cheek.

 

“You’re okay Pete?” He asked worriedly.

 

“I’m fine. Beside, it’s not like he could actually hurt me.” Peter shrugged with a little smile, still awed by what just happened. No one ever stood up for him like that. Just when he thought he couldn’t love Tony more, he went and did something like that.

 

Tony sighed and brought Peter against him, relieved. When he saw that guy threatening his son, he went into Protective Dad Mode without knowing it. He realized now that slamming a kid into some lockers in his school wasn’t probably his best idea, but he didn’t regret it. There’s still was something he had to discuss with Peter.

 

“Kiddo, does this kind of stuff happen often? Because if it does, you just have a word to say and I-”

 

“No! It’s actually the first time he ever tried to hurt me. And after what you just did, I doubt he’ll do again. You’re pretty scary.” Peter joked.

 

They resumed walking toward the last classroom when Tony stopped abruptly.

 

“You know what?” Tony said suddenly. “I’m sick and tired of this school. What do you say we skip the last meeting and we go to see the new Star Wars movie? And not a word to May!”

 

“That’s fine by me!” Peter grinned, eager to leave this building. “Say, you’ll be here for the next parent-teacher conference, right?”

 

“You can definitely count on it, kiddo.” Tony answered with a smirk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you believe I actually wrote this chapter on the computer at work and forgot it there? I had to rewrite it at home. As usual, leave a comment if you liked it or if you have ideas.


	14. Talk about the Future

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I usually don't update on Fridays, but since I didn't post anything on Wednesday I thought I would post a little something tonight. It's shorter than usual , but I hope you'll like it!

It was Friday night and Peter was in Tony’s car, singing along to Highway to Hell. Tony was a surprisingly good singer, especially when he was singing Rock songs. The first time the billionaire caught him singing along one of his favorite songs, he simply smiled, turned the music up and told him to sing louder.

 

This time however, Tony turned off the radio and told him they needed to talk about something important.

 

“Did I do something wrong?” Peter inquired, thinking about the previous week and finding nothing of interest.

 

Tony rolled his eyes, hands on the wheel. “You need to stop thinking that you’ve done something wrong kiddo. I just wanted to ask you if you’ve thought about what you want to do after high school. I know that you still have time to make a decision, but it’s always good to think about your options.”

 

“Oh. I don’t know. I haven’t really thought about it yet.” Peter answered vaguely.

 

“Really? I’m a bit surprised, I thought you would know what you’d like to do after high school. I know I did when I was your age.”

 

“Well, that’s probably because you were destined to take over your father’s industries. There must be a lot of doors opening for you when your name is Stark. I’m not that lucky.” Peter reminded him gently, looking through the window.

 

Tony didn’t answer, so Peter turned to him. The billionaire was biting his lip, frowning. Peter knew that he didn’t mean to offend him, but Tony sometimes forgot that his situation was quite special and that not everyone was as wealthy as he was. The reason why Peter usually avoided the topic of college was simple. He wasn’t sure that he could afford it. Even with a scholarship. But there was no way he could tell that to Tony.

 

“Kiddo.” Tony started softly. “You know that I won’t let you or May pay a single cent for college, right?”

 

“What?! No! You don’t have to do this!” Peter replied frantically.

 

“Yes I do. Because I won’t see your potential wasted. You’re a genius Peter, you should be studying at the MIT or Stanford. Plus, you’re my kid, of course I’m going to pay for college. And...”

 

Peter’s head was already spinning, but he asked:

 

“And what?”

 

“And it would easier for you to take over Stark Industries if you had a degree in engineering.”

 

Peter thought his heart had stopped. Did Tony just say he would pass his industries on to him?! His multinational, multi-billion-dollar company?

 

“Are you insane?” Peter screeched. “I have absolutely zero experience in engineering and I would never be able to handle that kind of responsabilities and-”

 

Tony suddenly parked the car on the side of the road, ignoring the honking cars behind them. _I'm Iron Man. They'll wait._ He turned to Peter and put a reassuring hand on the panicked teenager's shoulder.

 

“Pete, calm down. I'm not asking you to take over the company tomorrow. I'm not planning on dying anytime soon, kiddo. All I'm saying is that, if you're interested, you could be my successor. I would of course personally train you. But we have all the time in the world to think about this. Just keep your mind open, okay?”

 

Peter nodded, less freaked out now. Then, with a small voice, he asked:

 

“How was it at MIT? Did you have fun?”

 

Tony grinned.

 

“If you only knew, son. That place is stunning! And the girls...”

 

Tony spent the rest of the drive reminiscing while Peter thought that MIT didn't seemed so bad. Besides, it wouldn't hurt to submit an application, right?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As usual, leave a comment if you liked it or if you have an idea. I hope you'll have a great week end.


	15. Interlude with Loki

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because some of you asked me to write something with Loki, and because I absolutely love him, here it is. Hope you'll like it!

Peter slouched on his bed with a happy sigh. He was in his room in the Avengers facility, his now done homeworks discarded on his desk. He stretched on the bed and reached for his Starkphone. His fingers loomed over Tony's name. The billionaire left two days earlier for a business trip, promising to back soon. He had also told Peter he could call him anytime, but he didn't want to seem clingy. Beside, he could survive a few days without Tony.

 

Still, he missed him.

 

 _I might as well find something to keep me busy._ Peter thought with a sigh. He remembered Thor saying something about a book he brought for him. He probably left it in the common room.

 

“Is anyone here?” Peter asked when he entered the room. He seemed to be alone, the others being away on missions or training somewhere. The teenager shrugged, not minding the silence for once. He found the book he was looking for on the coffee table. When he picked it up, a smile lit up his whole face. _He remembered._

 

It was a book about the Brifrost, its creation and its use. Peter had told Thor about his fascination for the rainbow bridge, and apparently the God of Thunder remembered it and brought him a book. _I'm definitely going to make lemon cakes for him later._

 

Peter immediately sat down and opened the book. He began devouring the book, marveling at every single picture or drawing.

 

“This is so beautiful.” Peter murmured, caressing the painting on the page.

 

“Oh, you have no idea.” A voice said behind him. Startled, Peter quickly turned his head to find Loki reading over his shoulder, a smirk on his face.

 

“Did I scare you, little spider?” He sounded amused.

 

“No! I totally heard you approaching.” Peter defended himself, a bit ashamed that he'd been so engrossed in the book that he didn't hear the god, even with his Spider-Sense.

 

Loki hummed, his gaze fixed on the book in Peter's hands. “Where did you get that? I thought Midgardians were unaware of the existence of the Bifrost.”

 

“Hum? Oh, Thor got it for me. He's been so nice to me.”

 

Loki rolled his eyes. “Yes, my brother is the epitome of goodness.”

 

“You're not too bad either.” Peter mumbled, looking down.

 

Loki raised his eyebrows, not expecting compliments from the teenager.

 

“And you know that because...”

 

“You healed me, remember? When I was hungover. You didn't have to do it.”

 

“Your father is insufferable when he is worried, I simply did not wish to put up with him.”

 

Peter smiled when the raven-haired god mentionned Tony. He wondered what he would say if he saw him talking freely to Loki. The teenager knew that the billionaire didn't trust completely Loki despite Thor's efforts to make him a part of the team.

 

Suddenly, Peter had an idea of how to thank Thor for the book. He wasn't completely comfortable with the idea, but he figured he could give it a try.

 

“Do you want to sit and read with me? I'd love to have your insight.” Peter asked slowly, not sure of the answer he wanted to get.

 

Loki didn't answer. He simply joined him on the sofa, sitting far enough for Peter to be at ease. The teenager slowly turned the pages, enjoying the silence that stretched between them. As he looked at a picture of the Bifrost with Asgard in the background, he risked a glance to Loki. To his surprise, the god of lies seemed dejected.

 

“Are you...okay?” Peter hesitated.

 

“Asgard is gone. Do you know what it's like to lose the only place you've ever called home, little one?”

 

Peter didn't know what to say. Loki's words seemed so genuine, so filled with hurt that he doubted he could offer him any comfort.

 

“No, I don't. I'm sorry you do. From what I heard, Asgard was a magnificient place.”

 

“It really was. The golden towers of the city were always shining, even during the night. From the balconies of the palace, you could see the Bifrost, the stars and the whole galaxy. And the feasts...”

 

Peter listened attentively to every word Loki said, the book on his lap completely forgotten. A book was great, but it couldn't compare to the passion in Loki's voice.

 

 

Tony smiled as he entered the building. He was able to come back home early, hoping to spend more time with his son before bringing him back to May's. He was heading toward Peter's room when he saw Thor leaning against the common room's doorway, a tender smile on his face.

 

“Hey, Point Break. Why are you standing here?” Tony asked as he approached the man.

 

Thor said nothing but nodded towards something inside the room. Tony peered inside and was utterly shocked by what he saw.

 

Peter and Loki were sitting closely on the sofa. The teenager was talking enthusiastically, his hands moving rapidly to illustrate his words. Loki was calmer, but he was clearly amused by the young hero beside him.

 

“So you turned into a snake?! That's so cool! You have to show me how you do magic! Please!”

 

“Maybe one day, little spider. If you behave.” Loki teased with a smirk.

 

Tony had to repress his urge to keep his kid away from Loki. He knew that the god was technically redeemed, but that didn't mean he trusted him with his son. His feelings must have shown on his face, because Thor said:

 

“Do not fret, my friend. My brother wouldn't hurt Peter. I think he might have grown fond of him.”

 

Tony facepalmed. Of course, his kid would become friend with the ex-villain who tried to invade the planet and enslave all humankind.

 

This kid was going to be the death of him someday.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before you ask, yes, there will be angst soon enough, you little devils.  
> Also, I fell in love with Ezra Miller's version of the Flash in Justice League and I was thinking of writing a Reader Insert with him. Would you be interested in reading something like that?


	16. What's wrong with Peter?

Peter’s day started horribly. First, he slept through his alarm (although that was not a rare occurrence) and he had to skip breakfast to get to school on time. It sucked, considering the fact that he had already missed dinner the night before because of a heist he had to deal with, and all he had eaten for lunch was an apple. So when he got out of bed that day, his head started spinning. But he quickly brushed it off, thinking he simply stood up too quickly, and kissed May goodbye.

“Peter! You need to eat something before you go to school or you won’t be able to focus.” His aunt warned as he put on his shoes.

“I feel fine, May. Besides, I don’t need to focus, I just have math class this morning.” Peter smirked, grabbing his backpack.

“You spend too much time with Tony, you’re starting to get cocky just like him.” May rolled her eyes, unsure of what her reaction to the changes in Peter’s behavior should be.

“I’m not cocky, simply realist.” Peter shrugged. “Gotta go, I’m late. See you later, May!”

As he left the building, Peter wished he could just web his way to school, but that would be way too conspicuous. So he settled for running, knowing that he’d better not be late if he didn’t want to draw attention on him.

It took him twenty minutes to get to school instead of thirty, but Peter still was ten minutes late to his first class. He let out a frustrated sigh as he knocked on his classroom’s door. He opened the door to discover his teacher frowning with his arms crossed.

“M. Parker! I see you’ve deigned to join this humble class. I was afraid you would be stuck at StarkLabs all day.” He exclaimed sarcastically. Clearly, he didn’t appreciate Tony’s critics of his class. This is going to be a fun day. Peter thought moodily.

Half an hour later, Peter felt like the whole world was spinning. His pen was so heavy that lifting it seemed like an impossible task. He put a hand on his forehead, holding his head in place with a groan. His throat was dry, and it was like all his energy had been stolen. He knew that, if he tried to stand up, he would probably collapse to the ground.

With extreme difficulty, he raised his hand.

“What is it now, Mr. Parker?” His teacher snapped.

“I...I think I should go see the nurse. I’m not feeling so-”

A sudden wave of nausea violently hit him as well as an unexpected heat. Black spots appeared in front of his eyes, dancing to a song he couldn’t hear. He knew what was about to happen but he couldn’t do a single thing.

He barely heard Ned’s voice calling out his name when he fell from his chair. Then everything went pitch black.

 

* * *

 

 

Peter knew the instant he woke up that he was in the Avengers’ facility. And he recognized the room he was in, it was the same one Tony spent two weeks in. A slight pinch on his right arm told him that an IV was attached to it.

“Look who’s awake.” A voice said beside him. Peter blinked slowly, still a bit dizzy. An annoying strand of hair fell on his face, and a warm hand brushed it out of his eyes. He could recognize this warmth with his eyes closed.

“Dad.” Peter whispered softly, afraid that the world was going to spin again if he dared to speak too loudly.

“I’m here, kiddo.” Tony answered just as softly. “Your aunt is right outside, she’s talking to Bruce. Do you remember what happened?”

Unfortunately, Peter remembered this awful morning.

“Yeah. I passed out, right?”

Tony nodded. “Apparently, you passed out from dehydration. Son, did you know that your body needs more energy to function than a normal person does?”

“Er...Maybe? I’ve noticed that I eat more now than I used to. But I didn’t think I would pass out from skipping a few meals.”

“Do you know how worried I was? Do you know how worried May was? When she brought you here, unconscious, I thought the worst had happened. You scared me to death, son.” His eyes showed such a deep concern that the teenager had to look down, embarrassed.

Peter felt the shame weigh on him. His irresponsible actions had caused people he loved to worry.

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you or May. I thought I would be fine skipping a meal or two...”

“Well you’re not. So from now on you will be careful with your meals. I’ll ask Bruce to look into your nutritional needs. I won’t have you collapse in the middle of a class again.”

“Thanks Dad.” Peter yawned. He rubbed his eyes, still exhausted even though it was dark outside and he probably slept all day long.

“You should rest kiddo. I’ll be here when you wake up.” Tony said gently, standing up.

“Don’t you have meetings today?” Peter murmured, eyes already closed.

“Pete, you’re my first and only priority.” Tony answered, tucking the teenager in.

It took Peter less than a minute to fall back asleep. Tony made sure that the IV was correctly put before leaving the room. Outside, May was waiting with a cup of coffee and a smile on her face.

“You’re so good with him, it’s amazing.” May stated, handing him the cup.

Tony stared at the black coffee, took a sip, a deep breath, then said:

“May, there’s something I need to ask you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I only fainted once in my life (during a math class) but I remember feeling like a zombie. That was not pleasant at all. Hope you liked it, and if you did, please leave a comment!


	17. You want to do what?!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am NOT happy with this chapter, but what can you do? I hope you'll enjoy it all the same.

« May, there’s something I need to ask you. » Tony said with a serious look on his face.

 

May’s brow furrowed and she wondered what could have brought such a solemn look on the usually laid-back billionaire.

 

« Okay, what is it ? »

 

Tony hesitated before saying :

 

« Can you follow me to my room for a sec ? »

 

May rolled her eyes. « Tony, do you really think that now is a good time to hit on me ? My nephew is in a hospital bed right over there- »

 

« I know, that’s what I want to talk to you about. » Tony interrupted. « Please ? »

 

«...Fine. But not for too long, I want to talk to Peter and make him understand that he’d better not skip meals again. »

 

« Oh, I think he understands now, don’t worry. Come on. » Tony nodded towards the door on the other side of the hallway.

 

Once inside the room, Tony headed straight to his desk. May looked around, surprised to see the room tidy and filled with light thanks to the giant bay window. What made her smile was the picture of Tony and Peter smiling on the night table. It was taken recently, she remembered buying Peter this sweatshirt a few months before. Her nephew seemed so happy in this picture, it warmed her heart.

 

“There it is. Now, tell me what you think.” Tony looked almost scared as he handed her a bunch of papers.

 

Frowning, May took the papers from the Tony’s hand. And froze when she saw what she was holding.

 

CERTIFICATE OF ADOPTION

 

Eyes wide open, she looked back at Tony who was rubbing the back of neck, clearly uncomfortable with her silence.

 

“...So?” He asked after a short silence.

 

“Are you serious about this? Really, completely serious?” May asked, still incredulous.

 

“Deadly serious. I’ve been thinking about it for some time now, and after today...” Tony sighed, a hand on his forehead. “I want to be the person who’s called when Peter is in trouble. I want my name to be tied to his.” Short pause. “I want him to be my son. Officially.”

 

May opened her mouth to say something but Tony didn’t let her.

 

“I know that you’re the one who raised him, and you did a fantastic job. Peter is the sweetest kid I’ve ever met. I was thinking about, maybe, a joint custody? Or something like that. If you agree, of course.”

 

May waited until Tony finished talking before saying softly:

 

“You know, when I first heard Peter called you dad, I thought you were going to break his heart somehow. But you are so different from the person I thought you would be. Every time he talks about you, he has such stars in his eyes...you’re his hero, you know that?”

 

“Yes, I do. And I try to be worthy of his love, I really do.” Tony answered with a fond smile. “Peter...He’s everything I thought I would never have. He’s just so... _good_. Everything about him is so pure and good, I just want to protect him.”

 

May sat on the bed and patted the place next to her. Tony complied and waited for her response, his heart beating abnormally fast.

 

“I will gladly sign this paper if you can answer two questions.” May stated.

 

“Shoot.” Tony answered immediately, hope building inside of him.

 

“First, can you assure me that Peter will always be safe in your care? You have enemies, Tony. Can you keep him safe from them? I know that he is always in danger when he puts on his mask, but I need to know that you can take care of him.”

 

Tony chose his words very carefully, knowing his future, and Peter’s, depended on them.

 

“May, I can’t deny that, once the media learn about me adopting a kid, your life and Peter’s will be turned upside down. That’s inevitable. As for his security...you know I would give my life for him in a heartbeat. And I think I’ve already proved it.”

 

“You have. I don’t know how to thank you for protecting Peter that day.” May confided.

 

“You don’t need to thank me, I did it because I love him.” Tony said simply. “What’s your last question?”

 

“Have you talked to Peter about this?”

 

Tony grimaced. “Not yet, I...don’t know how to ask him. Do I just go to him and say ’Hey kiddo, did you have a nice day? By the way, do you want to be my son?’ It just seems wrong.”

 

May chuckled, imagining the scene. “I’m sure you’ll find a way to break it to him.”

 

“Does it mean you agree?” Tony asked with hope.

 

“It means I’ll sign after your talk with Peter, and not before.” May corrected gently. “If he is not on board with the idea, which I doubt, you’ll have to forget about it. He is not a child anymore, he has to be involved.”

 

“Of course!” Tony nodded, a wide smile on his face. “But you’re okay with me adopting him, right?”

 

May nodded, smiling back. “You’re already his father anyway.”

 

“Great! Er, can I hug you or would that be weird?” Tony asked, unsure.

 

“Let’s keep the hugs for later, okay?” May answered with a smirk. “I’ll go check on Peter, see if he’s awake. I’ll see you later, okay?” May said, putting a hand on Tony’s shoulder and standing up.

 

“Sure, sure.” Tony said idly, staring at the papers May gave back to him.

 

After she left, Tony lay down on his bed, papers in hand. He glanced at the picture on his night table and thought of his father’s words.

 

_My greatest creation is you._

 

Maybe, just maybe, he understood his father a bit more now. Although he wasn’t Peter’s biological father, he couldn’t help feeling proud when he looked at him.

 

And he had the feeling he would never stop being proud of this kid who stepped into his life so unexpectedly and refused to leave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I hope you liked it, leave a comment if you did. Since Christmas is coming,would you like a Christmas chapter?


	18. What do you say?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First, I want to thank yo guys for all your sweet comments on the last chapter, you are amazing! And I'm happy with the way this chapter turn out, so I hope you'll like it!

« Peter, I want to adopt you….Do you want to be my son?...Would you be interested in being my son?...Damn it!”

  


Tony ran his hand through his hair, letting out a frustrated groan. He felt ridiculous, rehearsing in the front of the mirror like a teenager about to ask his crush to go to prom.

  


_I’m Iron Man, for Christ’s sake! Why am I so nervous?!_

  


He knew why. Because it mattered. He looked at the bunch of papers on the floor, proofs of his failed attempts at coming up with a way to bring the topic up to Peter.

  


“Boss, M. Parker is currently looking for you.” FRIDAY’s voice startled him, ripping him from his thoughts.

  


“Got it. Where is he?”

  


“He is in the kitchen with M. Laufeyson.”

  


Tony scowled. He didn’t like the weird friendship that was growing between his kid and the God of Lies. He trusted Thor with his life, but his brother was another story. He wasn’t ready to forgive the guy who threw him out of his own tower yet. Maybe in a year or two. If he felt like it.

  


“You’ve got to be kidding me! There’s really a tree with golden apples which make people immortal?!” Tony heard Peter exclaiming at he entered the kitchen.

  


“There is. Or there was, at least. I haven’t seen Idun in quite some time now, I wonder if she’s okay.” Loki pondered, throwing an apple in the air and catching it.

  


“That’s amazing! What do they taste like?”

  


“I don’t think the taste is comparable to anything you know. It would be like trying to describe what magic feels like, you can’t understand unless you use it yourself.”

  


“By the way, you promised to show me some magic!” Peter added enthusiastically.

  


“I promised no such thing, little one.” Loki smirked.

  


Tony felt a pang of something in his chest while watching this scene. _I am not jealous. No way,_ _no how._ Still, he felt the need to interrupt this sweet moment.

  


“Hey kiddo. You’re alright?” Tony said nonchalantly, putting an arm around Peter’s shoulders and glaring at the god in front of them. Loki smirked in response, clearly aware of Tony’s scheme to divert Peter’s attention from him.

  


“Yeah, I was looking for you, but Loki started to tell me about Norse mythology, and it’s so fascinating!” Peter responded eagerly, smiling widely at his dad. 

  


“Really? Since when are you two buddies?” Tony asked, glancing between the two of them.

  


Peter suddenly became aware of the tension in the room. The billionaire was scowling at Peter’s new found friend who seemed way too amused by the situation. 

  


“Err...Dad? Did you want to talk about something?” Peter asked hesitantly. Tony turned to him reluctantly, and the teenager knew instantly that something was wrong. Tony Stark was a lot of things, but he definitely wasn’t skittish.

  


“Actually Pete, there’s something I want to talk to you about.” Tony cleared his throat. “You like Thai, right? What do you say we go out to talk?”

  


“Sure, if you want.” Peter shrugged before he turned to Loki, smiling. “This conversation is not over, Mischief.”

  


“I’m counting on it, little spider.” Loki answered, and even Tony had to admit that there was no malice hidden in his smile.

  


“Wait for me in the car, kiddo, there’s just a little thing I have to do before we leave.” Tony patted the teenager on his back as he left the room. When he heard the door closing, the billionaire turned to the god who waiting for him to say something with his eyebrow raised.

  


“I don’t care if you’ve decided to be a good guy now, if there’s a single hair missing on my son’s head, I’m going to assume it’s your fault. Then I’m going to kill you. Slowly, in every way I know you fear. Do we understand each other?”

  


The god simply rolled his eyes. “I think we both remember the last time you try to face me directly, Stark. It didn’t end very well for you. But tell me, what would I gain from hurting this child? Nothing but useless trouble. Beside, aside from Thor, he is the only person on this planet who tolerates me. Why would I ruin that?”

  


“I don’t know, you seem like the type of guy who enjoys ruining things.” Tony responded sharply.

  


“It takes one to know one.” Loki snapped.

  


Tony opened his mouth, ready to destroy the god of lies with a witty response when his IA’s voice interrupted their fight.

  


“M. Parker is asking for you boss.”

  


Tony huffed and turned his back on Loki, leaving the room as the other man spoke.

  


“I know you don’t trust me, Stark. But I won’t hurt your child. I promise.”

  


“Okay, you’re acting really weird. I mean, weirder than usual.” Peter declared as they sat in front of each other in the restaurant.

  


“What? I’m not weird. Why would you say that?” Tony answered quickly. Too quickly.

  


“Well, I think you must have said ten words since we left the compound. And you barely touched your food even though you love Pad Thai. Is there something wrong, Dad? You know you can talk to me.” Peter said worriedly.

  


_It’s now or never._ Tony thought, taking a deep breath. Without a word, he reached inside his jacket and took the papers out. He put them on the table and slid them toward Peter. The teenager frowned and looked at him quizzically.

  


Then he looked down at the papers in front of him.

  


And stopped breathing.

  


With the softest voice Tony could muster, he asked:

  


“What do you say?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't have to best day, work was exhausting and I actually got locked out of my apartment. So writing this chapter was pretty much the highlight of my day. I hope you liked it!


	19. Author's Note

Hi guys ! As you can see, this is not an update, since I will post the next chapter on Monday. I wanted to tell you that the next chapter with be a Christmas Special and will not follow directly the previous chapters.

 

I also wanted to thank all of you for your amazing support. I started this fanfiction on a whim, and it became the most popular fanfiction I've ever written. Every morning when I wake up, my first reflex is to check all the sweet comments you guys leave. I don't know how many chapters I will write, maybe 25, maybe 50, who knows ! I hope you'll continue to enjoy reading this fanfiction as much as I enjoy writing it.

 

Thanks everyone, I hope you'll enjoy your holidays with your family and friends ! See you (sorta) on Monday !

 

 


	20. Christmas is here!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, writing a Christmas chapter was a terrible idea and I'm never doing it ever again. I simply don't know how to write Christmas. I hope you'll like this chapter anyway.

What can you give to a man who already has everything ?

 

That was the question that's been haunting Peter for the past two weeks. Christmas was a week away and he still didn't know what he was going to give to Tony. He had already found a lovely pair of earrings for May and a new lego set for Ned and he knew that they were going to love their gifts. But Tony was a different story.

 

He had tried asking advice to the rest of the team, but their answers were...disappointing.

 

* * *

 

“So,” Peter started nonchalantly, sitting next to Steve in the kitcken. “Do you guys know what you're going to get for Tony for Christmas?”

 

“We already have to tolerate his existence all year long, and now you want us to give him presents?!” Sam exclaimed. Natasha, who was sitting beside him, hid her smirk behing her cup of coffee.

 

Peter rolled his eyes. “Come on guys. I really need your help. Please.”

 

“Peter, you could give Tony a piece of paper with his name on it and he would be thrilled because you woud be the one giving it to him” Steve answered with a soft smile.

 

“Actually, that's a great idea! Just give him a piece of paper, I would love to film his reaction and put it on Youtube.” Clint added, grinning as he entered the kitchen.

 

“Nevermind.” Peter sighed. “I'll figure something out.”

 

* * *

 

He didn't figure something out.

 

So he turned to the person he knew could help him.

 

“May? I need your help with Christmas presents. Can you help me?” Peter asked, helping his aunt set the table.

 

The woman frowned. “Gifts are supposed to be personal, Peter. They have to mean something.”

 

“I know that, I do! But...I've never had to buy a gift for my dad before.” Peter confessed in a soft voice. “I don't want to mess it up.”

 

May's face softened as she looked at this amazing kid she has raised.

 

“You won't mess anything up, sweetheart. I'm sure Tony will love your gift no matter what it is.”

 

Peter let out a little laugh. “You're starting to sound like Captain America, you know that?”

 

“Is that a good thing?” May bantered, loving the smile lingering on her nephew's face.

 

“Yeah. It is.”

 

“More seriously Peter, you know Tony better than most. You know what's important to him. Use that knowledge.”

 

Peter nodded slowly. “You know what? You just gave me an idea.”

 

* * *

 

The Avengers compound looked so different now. Someone (probably Tony) had put Christmas decorations absolutely everywhere. A giant Christmas tree was set up in the common room, with far too many gifts underneath. There was a lovely scent of cookies in the air and All I want For Christmas Is You was playing.

 

May was thrilled when Tony asked her and Peter to spend Christmas evening with the Avengers. The teenager suspected his aunt of having a small crush on a certain super-soldier, and when he told her about it, she simply smacked the back of his head with her purse.

 

 _Doesn't mean I'm wrong._ Peter thought smugly.

 

Dinner went great. Everyone seemed to be in a good mood and he even managed to convince Loki not to turn his brother's plate into a giant spider. The god of lies spent the rest of the dinner glaring at Peter, but the teenager could handle it. He still made sure to be extra careful with his food. Loki wasn't above turning his potatoes into frogs.

 

Then came the time to open the presents. Peter was so nervous he stayed by May's side while the others opened their gifts. He still had to laugh when Thor opened a huge box to reveal a wedding gown.

 

“Loki! We agreed never to talk about this story ever again!” Thor roared, throwing Mjöllnir at his brother who easily avoided it. 

 

“But you looked so pretty in a wedding gown, brother dear, that I thought you might want to wear another one.” Loki answered way too innocently to be genuine.

 

Peter was watching the brothers argue, amused, when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around, and gulped when he saw Tony holding out an envelope.

 

“What is it?” Peter asked, taking the envelope from Tony's hand.

 

The billionaire rolled his eyes. “Well, it's not a kitten for sure. Open it.”

 

The teenager complied. Then screamed when he saw what was inside.

 

“Disneyland tickets?! We're going to Disneyland?!” Peter squealed. He never went to the amusement park before, and the prospect made him over-excited. 

 

“Even better. We'll have the park all for ourselves. I rented it.” Tony answered with a smirk.

 

“You rented...Disneyland?” Peter repeated, bewildered.

 

“Yep. And it was supposed to be the two of us, but the rest of those idiots want to come with.”

 

Peter threw himself into Tony's arms, who clearly expected that kind of reactions since he didn't flinch. 

 

“That'sthebestpresenteverthankyousosomuchiloveyoudad.” Peter expressed almost too quickly for Tony to understand. 

 

“I'm happy you like it son.” Tony responded softly, patting Peter's back. “Now, where's my gift?”

 

Peter let go of Tony and laughed nervously. He glanced at May who smiled encouragingly. Peter nodded at her with a slim smile, took the hastily wrapped present on the table and handed it to Tony. 

 

“Here it is. I hope you'll like it.” 

 

Tony quickly tore the wrapping paper and removed the gift from the box it was in. He looked confused for a terrifying second.

 

In his hands was a photo album with the words 'MY SUPER FAMILY' written on it. Silently, he opened it. The first picture showed them both right after they went to see the last Star Wars movie. They had taken a selfie in the car, and they both looked pretty bad on this picture, but they were smiling and Tony had one arm around Peter. It was probably Peter's favorite picture. 

 

The rest of the album showed pictures of all the Avengers in happy situations. In one of them, Natasha was hitting Clint with a pillow after he beat her to Mario Kart. In another one, Sam was asleep on the couch and Steve was standing behing him with a mischievious smile, sharpie in hand. Another one showed Loki and Thor smiling fondly at each other, unaware that someone was taking a picture of them. On every page was a moment of tenderness and happiness. Finally, the last picture. It was Tony, working on one of his armors with a look of pure concentration on his face. He was so taken by his work that he didn't notice Peter taking this picture with his phone. Underneath the picture was a single phrase.

 

'BEST FATHER OF ALL TIME.'

 

“So...do you like it?” Peter asked hesitantly. Tony had been silent for some time now, and he was starting to worry.

 

Without a word, Tony put the album on the table and, with a gentleness he didn't know he had, he pulled Peter toward him. His embrace was so tender, almost like he was afraid of breaking the teenager. 

 

“I love it, Peter. This is the best present I've ever received. Thank you, son.” Tony whispered, knowing that his voice would break if he tried to speak louder.

 

Peter smiled and relaxed in Tony's arms.

 

“Merry Christmas Dad.” He said, putting his head on his father's shoulder.

 

“Merry Christmas, Pete.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those who didn't get the wedding gown joke: In Norse mythology, the giant Thrymr stole Mjollnir and Thor had to pretend to be the goddess Freiya and marry the giant to get it back. And Loki was his bridesmaid. It's too bad they didn't include this in the movies, I bet Chris and Tom would have looked amazing in dresses.


	21. The Answer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 20000 Hits. That's insane. I love you guys so much.

“What do you say?” Tony asked softly, his voice barely a whisper.

 

“I...I'm not sure I understand. Are those...?” Peter stammered, shocked.

 

“Adoption papers. I want to adopt you, Peter. If you want me to, of course.”

 

Peter stayed silent, eyes wide open. He barely seemed to breathe. His brain appeared to have stopped working.

 

 _Say something! Anything! You're going to freak him out!_ Peter screamed inside his mind.

 

Still, no words left his mouth. Tony, who looked more and more nervous with each passing second, slowly pulled the papers toward himself.

 

“It's okay if you disagree, kiddo. I just thought that, since you already call me dad...Nevermind.”

 

“No!” Peter exclaimed, snatching the papers from Tony's hands and pressing them against his torso. “I'm sorry. I'm just shocked, I wasn't expecting that.” He explained quickly.

 

“I know, it's big. Can we at least talk about it? Please?” Tony asked, putting his chair closer to Peter's.

 

“Talk? What do you mean? We don't need to talk about this.” Peter replied, confused as he put the papers back on the table.

 

“Oh.” From the crestfallen look on Tony's face, Peter knew his words were not the right ones.

 

“No no no! It's not what I meant! Of course I want to be your son!” Peter blurted. He hated seeing Tony so distressed because of him. “I mean, I've got a thousand questions, but I really, really want to be a part of your family.”

 

The billionaire's eyes lit up like a sunrise after a long winter night, and he smiled so widely his cheeks hurt.

 

“You already are, son. We're just making things official.”

 

Peter was smiling just as widely as his father. He couldn't believe that this was happening. That it was his name of the adoption papers, right next to Tony's. His eyes stopped on May's name on the paper.

 

“But have you talked to May about this?” Peter inquired, worried and a bit ashamed that he didn't think of his aunt's reaction earlier.

 

“I have, and she agreed. I was worried she would try to kill me for stealing her nephew, but she was actually very supportive. I'm still not used to her smiling at me, it was weird. Do you think she would like better if I hooked her up with Cap?” Tony smirked.

 

“Yeah, you would probably be her favorite person in the world.” Peter laughed, deliriously happy.

 

They were smiling fondly at each other when a waiter came to put the bill on the table. Carelessly, Tony threw a $100 bill on the table and ignored Peter telling him that it was way too much for a normal meal.

 

“This is a happy occasion, kiddo. Let me be generous.” Tony proclaimed as they left the restaurant. Peter simply shook his head, smiling at his father's eccentricity. The older man threw an arm around Peter's shoulder as they slowly walked toward the car.

 

“I'm sure you still have questions, don't you?”

 

“I do, actually. Will I have to change my name? Or do I keep mine? Maybe I can mix both. Peter Parker-Stark...I don't know, what do you think?”

 

“It's up to you, Pete. Parker is your father's name, you have every right to keep it if you want to.” Tony replied seriously.

 

Peter suddenly stopped, eyes down, an indecipherable look on his face.

 

“Peter? Are you alright?” Tony inquired, frowning. What could have changed Peter's mood so quickly?

 

“I'm fine. There's something we need to do.” He replied after a second, looking up at Tony with a solemn look on his face.

 

“...Okay. What is it?”

 

* * *

 

When Peter told him he needed to show something to him, he didn't expect the teenager to lead him here.

 

In Calvary Cemetery.

 

“...Kiddo? I don't mean to pry, but can you tell me what we're doing in a cemetery? I'm not exactly fond of those.” Tony rambled, glancing at the tombstones they were passing by. Peter was walking quickly ahead of him, obviously familiar with the place.

 

“We're almost here.” Peter shouted behind his shoulder. And indeed, a few minutes later, he stopped in front of a heastone. When Tony got closer, he was able to read the names on it.

 

RICHARD AND MARY PARKER

BELOVED MOTHER AND FATHER

MAY THEY REST IN PEACE

 

Tony gulped. So that was what the kid wanted to show him. Peter kneeled on the ground and put a hand on the gravestone.

 

“Hey dad. Hey mom. I know I haven't been here in a while, but there's someone I want to introduce you to.” Peter said softly, the wind carrying his voice. Tony took the hint and kneeled beside him. He cleared his throat, unsure of what he was supposed to say. He wasn't a believer, he didn't think that Heaven or Hell existed, so the idea of talking to the dead never occurred to him before. But the way Peter was looking at him...

 

“I'm sorry I didn't come sooner. Your son is so important to me, I should have introduced myself sooner.” Tony took a deep breath, and continued. “Peter is the most amazing person I've ever met, and I'm sure that, wherever you are, you must be incredibly proud of him. I am not trying to replace you, I know I will never be able to. I just hope I can make him happy, and keep him safe.” 

 

Peter dropped his head on Tony's shoulder and put his hand on his. 

 

“Thank you for coming here with me. It means so much to me.” Peter croaked, his voice heavy with emotion.

 

Tony nodded silently, and placed a hand on top of Peter's hand. He felt warm despite the wind and the rain that was starting to pour. 

 

“Thank you for bringing me here, son.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually like that Peter didn't mention his parents or Ben in Homecoming. It was nice to have a superhero movie that wasn't focused on the death of loved ones. Definitely refreshing  
> Also, I'll be super busy the rest of the week, so I don't know if I'll be able to post.


	22. Everyboby Talks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First things first, Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all had a very good time with your loved ones.  
> I'm sorry about my little absence, but I'm back now! And I hope you'll like this new chapter.

When Peter walked into his school monday morning, he was expecting a smile from Ned, and maybe a wave from MJ. That was it.

 

So he was surprised when literally everyone in the hallways turned to look at him with wide, shocked eyes. At first, he thought he was having a nightmare again, but when he looked down, he saw that he was still wearing the same clothes he had put on this morning. So, he definitely wasn't naked, and apparently, this wasn't a nightmare.

 

He had rarely felt so uncomfortable as he walked to his locker, his hands twiching at his sides, feeling so many eyes on him. He had no idea what was going on, and he briefly wondered if his locker was big enough to hide in it. Probably, but it wouldn't be very heroic of him.

 

“Peter! Why didn't you tell me?!” Ned cried out as he ran to him. Peter frowned, more lost than ever.

 

“Tell you what? What's going on, why is everyone staring at me?” Peter pressed, uneasy with the attenttion he was receiving.

 

“You haven't checked the news this morning, have you?”

 

“No, I barely had the time to eat breakfast this morning, I was...out all night. What does it have to do with me anyway ?”

 

“Just check this out.” Ned handed him his phone, and Peter grabbed it immediately, growing annoyed at the whispers behind his back. But he turned white as he saw what was displayed on Ned's screen.

 

It was his face. And his name. Right next to Tony's. And somewhere in the blur that was the article, Peter read the word adoption.

 

Peter did his best not to panick. He knew the press would learn about Tony's plan to adopt him, but he thought it would take them longer. Not  _two days_ .

 

“Is that why everybody's staring at me?” Peter asked calmly, as though he wasn't freaking out on the inside.

 

“You can't really blame them, this is big. Like, really big. Why didn't you tell me about it? You know you can talk to me about anything.” Ned looked a little hurt as he said this.

 

Peter felt the guilt wash over him. He had tried to stay a good friend to Ned as his life became more and more ectic, but maybe he didn't try hard enough.

 

“I'm so sorry. Da-Tony told me about it this weekend, and I've been so overwhelmed that I didn't think about calling you. I'm really sorry. How can I make it up to you?” Peter whispered, not wanting the people around them to hear them.

 

“Well...do you think I could meet them?” Ned asked hesitantly.

 

“Meet who?”

 

“Y'know...The Avengers?”

 

Peter burst out laughing.

 

“That's it? Of course you can! You can come with me this weekend if you want, I'll show around.” The young hero smiled, and he knew his words were the right ones when he saw the stars in his friend's eyes. 

 

* * *

 

 

The rest of the week was thankfully more peaceful. The other students quickly lost interest in him, and for that he was relieved. But the press was still going on about the whole adoption thing. Some people in the streets even asked him if he was the kid from the news. What could he possibly answer to that?

 

On Tuesday night, Tony called him as he was lying on his bed with his laptop, looking at the articles about him.

 

“Hey kiddo, I was just calling to know if you were alright.” Peter smiled when he heard the voice he loved so much.

 

“Hey Dad. Why wouldn't I be fine?”

 

“Well, I've seen the news. They were quicker than I expected. I just wanted to make sure you were not feeling oppressed by all the attention.” He sounded concerned.

 

“Things were a little weird yesterday morning, everyone was staring at me like as if I had grown a second head during the night. But I'm fine. I'm sure things will get back to normal soon...I hope.”

 

“Good. And your aunt, how did she react?” Peter smiled at the nervousness in his father's voice. Amazing how his aunt could scare even Iron Man.

 

“She just ranted about the press' uselessness. But she does that every evening, so you don't have to worry.”

 

“Great. So...you don't regret it, right?” Tony sounded unsure, and Peter knew instantly that this question had haunted him all day long.

 

“Of course I don't regret it! A few articles in the newspapers are not going to make me run away, Dad. You're stuck with me.” Peter smirked.

 

“You're the one who's stuck with me, kiddo.” Tony chuckled on the other of the phone.

 

“There are worse people to get stuck with.” Peter said soflty, closing his laptop.

 

“Like Loki for example?”

 

“Dad!”

 

“I would say I'm sorry, but I'm really not.” Peter could swear he could hear Tony smirk.

 

But what he heard behind Tony's voice was people screaming. The billionaire sighed, annoyed.

 

“Children. I'm living with actual children. I've got to go kid, before Thor decides that losing at Mario Kart is worth breaking the television. I swear I'm going to put him on a leash someday.”

 

Peter laughed happily, joy bubbling inside of him. He really loved his strange family.

 

“Okay, I'll talk to you later. Wait! Before I forget, can Ned stay with us this weekend?He'd love to meet you.”

 

“Your best friend Ned? Sure, I'd love to meet him too. I'll pick you guys up on Friday. See you soon, kiddo. Love you.”

 

“Love you too Dad.”

 

Peter stared at the phone in his hand with a genuine smile on his face, not believing that he actually said these words. He was so caught up in his happiness that he didn't hear his aunt entering his bedroom.

 

“Peter, stop smiling like an idiot, the diner is ready.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really like writing Ned, he's such a sweetheart. I hope he'll be in the next Spiderman movie.  
> Also, I've seen Star Wars The Last Jedi last week and it was absolutely amazing and I really want to write a Reylo fanfic now.


	23. Meeting the Avengers - Part One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for my absence, I'll try to post more frequently from now on.

“Will you please stop fidgeting?” Peter asked, exasperated as they waited for Tony to pick them up.

 

“That’s easy for you to say! You live with the Avengers! I’ve only ever seen them on TV...Is Thor really that tall by the way?” Ned asked as he paced the pavement, overexcited by the prospect of meeting his heroes.

 

“Taller, I think. We all look like dwarves next to him. But he’s the sweetest person ever, you’ll see.”

 

Ned stopped abruptly to stare at him, bewildered.

 

“...Did you just call the God of Thunder sweet?”

 

Peter shrugged.

 

“Well he is. They all are actually. Even Loki.” Peter smiled, thinking of the unexpected friendship he built with the redeemed God of Lies. To think that a few months ago he was afraid of him...

 

“Your life is insane.” Ned deadpanned.

 

“I know that.” _But I wouldn't trade it for the world._

 

* * *

 

 

Peter rolled his eyes as the red Ferrari stopped in front of them. He opened the door to slide inside the car, expecting Ned to follow him.

 

“Seriously, Dad? The Ferrari again?” Peter mocked, fastening his seat belt and smirking when he saw Ned sat beside him, gaping at the car.

 

“You love this car and you know it. Beside, we only have one chance to make a good first impression. You must be Ned, nice to meet you.” Tony offered, turning slightly in his seat so he could hold out his hand for him to shake.

 

Ned gasped and grabbed Tony’s hand enthusiastically.

 

“It’s such an honor to meet you, M. Stark! I’ve heard so many stories about you, Peter can’t seem to shut up about- Ouch! why did you hit me?!” Ned whined, rubbing his side where Peter just elbowed him.

 

“Because you were rambling.” Peter explained, sending an embarrassed smile to Tony, who answered with a knowing smirk.

 

“Of course I’m rambling, I just held Tony Stark’s hand!” Ned screeched.

 

Tony laughed out loud.

 

“Oh I like this one! But just call me Tony kid, M. Stark is my father.”

 

Peter could practically hear the billionaire's ego growing as Ned stared at him with starstruck eyes.

 

* * *

 

 

During the trip, Tony asked them about the decathlon and their classes, like a good father would.

 

“So, Ned, Pete told me you’re good with computers. That’s a useful skill.” Tony declared, his eyes glancing at Ned thanks to the rear-view mirror.

 

“Uh, kinda. I mean...” The teenager stammered, not sure if bragging in front of Tony Stark was a good idea.

 

“Yeah, he’s really good. He actually helped me catch Toomes. He hacked the traffic lights so I could get to him quicker.” Peter interjected eagerly.

 

“Really? You know, Stark Industries is always looking for people with these kind of skills. If you’re looking for what to do after high school, you can always knock on my door.” Tony added with a smile.

 

Ned made a strange sound at the back of his throat.

 

“That means thank you. I think.” Peter laughed as he clapped his best friend’s on the shoulder.

 

* * *

 

 

Ned was practically vibrating as the car parked inside the Avengers compound. He gasped when he saw the dozens of cars in the garage.

 

“That’s literally insane. Will you learn to drive in one of these?!” Ned questioned, turning to Peter.

 

“I don’t need a fancy car. Beside, I already know how to drive, remember?”

 

“I wouldn’t call stealing one your classmate’s car and racing through the whole town knowing how to drive, kiddo.” Tony chimed in. “And what about an Aston Martin? Like James Bond? You’d like that?”

 

“Why would I need an Aston Martin to drive to school?!” Peter sputtered, appalled by his father’s lack of modesty. “Beside, May would never let me drive a car like that.”

 

“Good point.” Tony conceded. “We’ll see later. But this conversation is not over.”

 

“Is he always like that?” Ned whispered to Peter as they left the garage.

 

“Eccentric? That seems to be his default mode. Come on, let’s go to my room.”

 

* * *

 

To see that Peter’s room was impressive would the understatement of the year. First, it was huge. The walls were covered in shelves overwhelmed with books. A giant Star Wars poster was decorating the wall above the desk. And the best part was the ceiling. Pitch black with shining stars painted on it. Ned briefly wondered how it was possible for painting to be this realistic.

 

“Don’t mind the mess, you know I’m not the best when it comes to cleaning up.” Peter said, throwing his backpack on the bed.

 

“This place is amazing! Is that the last Stark computer?!” Ned marveled, unable to reconcile the vision before him with Peter’s room at May’s.

 

“Dad insisted.” Peter shrugged, embarrassed. “I couldn’t say no even if I wanted to. Same thing with the car, you’ll see. I love him, but things easily get out of control with him.”

 

Ned sat on the bed and gaze at Peter.

 

“I’m happy for you, you know.”

 

Peter blinked. “Thank you?” He said hesitantly.

 

“You seem so happy nowadays. It’s good to see you smile after everything you’ve been through. You deserve it, Peter.”

 

Peter felt his throat tightened at his friend’s heartfelt words. He rubbed the back of his head, abashed.

 

He opened his mouth, not sure of what his words were going to be, when someone knocked at his door.

 

Steve’s blond head peeked in before entering the room.

 

“Tony told us you brought a friend home. It’s a pleasure to meet you Ned, I’m Steve.” the super-soldier said with a friendly smile, holding his hand out for Ned.

 

Ned stared at the hand in front of him for a second, before looking up to Steve.

 

“You’re Captain America.” He whispered softly to no one in particular.

 

Steve laughed and Peter facepalmed. _This is going to be a long weekend._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had the worst day ever, so writing really was a relief today. I hope you'll appreciate this chapter.


	24. Bad News...

I hate that I have to write this, but I unfortunately won't be able to update this fic for some time. As some of you might know, I am a student in Master Degree in Medieval History and, to get my diploma, I have to write a 100 pages long essay on a topic of my choice. I have five months to write it and I really, really need to focus on that right now. Hopefully, I'll be able to write a chapter soon enough, but I cannot make any promise. Again, I want to thank you for your amazing support, and I hope that, when I'll find the time to write a chapter, you'll be there to read it.


	25. Meeting the Avengers - Part Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I'm back! At least for this chapter, since I don't know when I will have the time to write another. I hope you'll like it!

After Peter managed to extract Ned’s hand from Steve’s (under the super-soldier amused gaze), he suggested a visit of the lab before dinner. Tony had just finished his new suit and he wanted to show off to his best friend.

 

“Sure, but be careful around the lab, Peter. You know Bruce wouldn't like it if you mess with his...whatever it is he's doing down there. We don't need a green alert tonight.” Steve chimed in, arms crossed, always the mother hen of the team.

 

“Don't worry, I know my way around the lab by now. Besides, I just want to show Ned the new suit Dad made for me. And it's not like I blow up the lab every Sunday night.”

 

“Well...”

 

“It happened one time! And it was Dum-E's fault anyway.” Peter exclaimed, exasperated. “I told him not to move, but he never obeys! It’s not my fault he spilled silver fulminate all over the place. I was just trying to see how dangerous my explosive webs could get. ” Peter quickly added when he saw Ned frowning, probably wondering what on earth he was doing with silver fulminate.   
  
“If there’s one thing Tony and you have in common, it’s your ability to get into trouble no matter where you are.” Steve said, smiling wryly, ruffling Peter’s hair fondly.  
  
Ned cleared his throat, looking at anything but the superheroes in front of him, holding out a deck of vintage cards. Peter groaned, not believing that he forgot his best friend’s admiration for the first Avengers.  
  
“Um, say, M. Rogers-” Ned began hesitantly.

 

“Please, just call me Steve.” The super-soldier interrupted gently. “And let me guess, you want me to sign your Captain America card collection?”

 

Ned nodded frantically, grinning at Steve. The man out of time smiled, a bit sheepish, and asked Peter for a pen. When the teenager handed it to him, the older man asked in a whisper:

 

“How many of these cards are there exactly?” Peter couldn’t tell if Steve was annoyed or embarrassed.

 

“Are you sure you want to know?” Peter answered on the same tone.

 

“Dammit.”

 

* * *

 

The Avengers’ lab wasn’t what Ned had imagined. Not that it wasn’t impressive, because it was. But the place was…well, messy was one word for it. It didn’t seem to faze Peter who walked easily between the Iron Man suits scattered around the room. Ned would have liked to inspect one of the suits, but his friend pulled him toward the end of the room.

 

“You’re going to love it.” Peter assured with a grin as he pushed a button on the wall.

 

Doors opened to reveal a suit Ned had never seen before. It looked like Peter’s usual suit, except for the black and gold spider extending from the chest to the waist, shoulders and elbows. It looked almost metallic, and the similarity with the Iron Man suits behind them was obvious.

 

“So? What do you think?” Peter pressed, eager to hear his best friend’s opinion.

 

“It looks so amazing! Have you tried it on yet?!” Ned asked excitedly.

 

Peter deflated a bit and ran his hand through his brown hair. “Not yet. I think Dad wants me to keep it for real missions. Like a uniform, you know?”

 

“Well, you know who to call if there's a protocol you want to get rid of.” Ned winked, pleased with himself knowing that he managed to hack into Tony Stark's security system so easily.

 

Peter and Ned shared a conspiratorial smile when they heard the lab's door closed. A familiar voice rose, amused.

 

“So you were the one who bypassed the security protocols in Peter's suit.” Tony said, leaning against a desk as he stared at the two teenagers. “I don't know if I should be impressed that you managed to do that or upset that you put Peter in danger.”

 

The teenagers answered at the same time. “I was the one who asked him-”“I didn't mean to-”.

 

Tony simply waved his hand, pushing their explanations aside. He seemed to ponder for a few seconds, stood up and focused on Ned.

 

“You know, I was serious about that job offer earlier. If you're really that good with electronics, then it would be a real asset for Starks Industry to have you. Would you consider it once you’re done with high school?”

 

Ned had trouble processing what Tony just said, so he just nodded, blown away.

 

“O- Of course! So you're not...mad?”

 

“At you? No. I have the feeling that it wasn't your idea anyway. Right, Pete?”

 

Peter laughed weakly. He had the feeling Tony wouldn’t let this go for a while.

 

“I was curious. Sorry, Dad.”

 

Tony rolled his eyes. He probably should tell Peter not to mess with his suit, but he knew that it would fall on deaf ears. All he could do was make sure that the suit was as safe as possible. That he could do.

 

“Come on, you two. Dinner is ready and everyone’s waiting for us.”

 

* * *

 

 

The dinner went surprisingly smoothly. Ned and Sam hit it off instantly thanks to their mutual love of video games. The rest of the team was friendly, asking Ned what his hobbies were and who his favorite Avenger was.

 

“Tony, leave the kid alone.” Bruce demanded, annoyed by his friend’s antics.

 

“What? It’s a legitimate question.”

 

“You’re just jealous Peter said Steve was his favorite Avenger.” Rhodey added with a smirk.

 

“Wait, what?! I never said that!” Peter squealed, glancing at Tony’s annoyed face.

 

“You were drunk, I’m not surprised you don’t remember it kiddo.” Clint laughed.

 

Ned sent a bewildered look to his best friend, and Peter didn’t need words to understand what this look meant.

 

_Drunk? You? What the hell?_

 

Peter shrunk back into his chair, embarrassed by the attention focused on him. He glanced at Loki in front of him. The God of Lies was looking at him expectedly, clearly waiting for something.

 

Like his approval. Which he gave.

 

A few seconds later, Thor, who was entertaining Ned with the story of the night Peter accidently drank Asgardian mead, found himself completely drenched without any obvious reason.

 

“LOKI!”

 

_I knew I was right to befriend the God of Mischief._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Being able to write a new chapter was so great, I really hope you liked it, if you did leave a comment! And if you have ideas or things you would like to see me write, please let me know, I'm always open to ideas.


	26. There's a New Super-Soldier in Town

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! So I absolutely love Bucky, he's one my favorite character in the MCU since CA:TWS, and since he and Pete met in CW, I thought it would be nice to reunite them. Please be nice to my babies.

Peter knew he wasn’t the most perceptive person ever. So when he walked into the kitchen in the Avengers compound, feeling like the room was about to explode from all the tension, he realized the situation was going to get out of hand. On one side of the room were Tony and Rhodey, both looking extremely upset with their arms crossed and their jaw set, glaring at the people on the other side of the room.

 

Practically hidden behind Steve and Sam was a man Peter recognized immediately. The teenager never thought he would see the Winter Soldier again, and yet here he was. His hair was longer than he remembered and his metal arm was different than the last time he saw him. Despite his large stature, he seemed shy and unsure, uncomfortable with his predicament. When Peter walked into the room, the man briefly glanced at him before looking down at the ground.

 

“You’ve got some guts to bring him here after everything that happened, Rogers.” Tony snapped, clearly furious.

 

“Tony, Bucky spent the last year in T’Challa’s labs, he is not a danger to anyone anymore.” Steve pleaded, glancing at his best friend from time to time, as if he was afraid he was going to run away.

 

Knowing that it was better to let the adults handle a situation Peter knew almost nothing about, the teenager carefully avoided his father and his teammates to reach the cupboards where all the sugary treats were hidden. Peter always had a sweet tooth, but it became a real obsession for candy and cakes when he became Spiderman. He wanted to try the new Chocolate Mocha Pop-Tarts Clint bought earlier this week before Thor could get his hands on them.

 

Of course, that damn archer stashed the treats on the top shelf, somewhere Peter couldn’t reach. He tiptoed to try and reach the box, but to no avail. The teenager groaned in frustration. He had half a mind to just use his webs to get the box, when a hand reached out from behind him and grabbed the box. A metal hand.

 

Peter whipped around, eyes wide open, and saw Bucky, holding out the box of Pop-Tarts to him with a sheepish look on his face. It was almost comic, seeing someone to impressive looking so demure. Like he was doing his best to appear less threatening. It seemed the rest of the Avengers were so busy debating that none of them realized the very topic of their conversation had slipped away.

 

“Is that what you wanted?” Bucky asked, his voice surprisingly soft.

 

“Y-Yeah. Thank you.” Peter stammered, before clearing his voice. He was being ridiculous, Steve wouldn’t have brought him here if he was dangerous. Besides, he once webbed the man to the floor. The least he could do was being polite. “Do you want one?”

 

The super-soldier frowned and glanced at the box in his hand. “What is this?”

 

 _Of course, Pop-Tarts weren’t around in the 40’s._ Without a word, Peter put two pastries in the microwave, waited a few moments and, when the device beeped, he made sure not to burn himself taking the pastries out.

 

“There. Careful, it’s hot.” Peter sent him a small smile, hoping he wasn’t making a mistake by interacting with the Winter Soldier.

 

The man seemed curious about the sugary treat, and he carefully brought it to his mouth. His bright blue eyes widened when he felt the sweetness of the chocolate hit his tongue. He seemed to enjoy it, considering the little smile that stretched the corners of his mouth.

 

“This is good.” He whispered. “We didn’t have anything like that back then.”

 

 _Here goes nothing._ “I’m sorry!” Peter blurted out. “For attacking you in the airport. I didn’t know who you were, I just wanted to impress Dad-”

 

“Dad? You’re Stark’s kid?” Bucky asked, surprised.

 

“Well, I wasn’t back then. It’s a long story. But I’m really sorry, if I had known who you were and what you’ve been through, I wouldn’t have tried to capture you.”

 

“So you’re the kid in the spider costume.” Bucky slowly shook his head. “You don’t need to apologize, kid. You were just doing what you could. As we all were.”

 

“Are you going to live with us now?” Peter asked after a short silence. He liked the super-soldier, he seemed sweet. And he was starting to have some experience with reformed villains.

 

It was at that moment that Peter realized that the argument in the room had stopped some time ago. He risked a glance at the Avengers on the other side of the room, and sure enough, they were staring at them. Tony looked almost jaded while Steve shot him a grateful smile.

 

Bucky started fidgeting again when he felt the eyes of the four men on him. “I don’t know, kid. That’s not really up to me.”

 

This time, everyone in the room turned to Tony. The billionaire was adamant, he didn’t want this man under his roof, where his son was living. Speaking of him, Peter was sending him a pleading look.

 

_No way. I’m not going to be swayed by puppy dog eyes..._

 

“Dad...”

 

_Damn._

 

* * *

 

 

The next morning, Loki sat next to Thor in the kitchen, and glared at the teenager eating Pop-Tarts and talking happily to a stranger.

 

“Brother, who is this man eating in our kitchen?” Loki asked, his bad mood clear in his voice.

 

“Haven’t you heard? This is the Captain’s best friend, James Barnes. He will be living with us from now on.” Thor answered absent-mindedly.

 

“Shouldn’t he be with that damn soldier then?” The God of Lies growled.

 

Thor raised an eyebrow. “Are you jealous, brother dear?”

 

“Shut up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hope you liked it, and if you did, leave a comment below. And again, if you have ideas for the following chapters, I'm always happy to hear (or read) them.


	27. Disney and Popcorn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, I am so sorry it took me nearly a month to finish this chapter. I'd like to say the next one will come sooner, but I can't make any promises. Still, I hope you'll enjoy this chapter.

It all began a few weeks after Bucky’s arrival. Peter and him started to spend some time together during breakfast, and the teenager quickly became comfortable with the soldier’s presence. The same couldn’t be said for the others. Tony still kept his distance, even though he no longer glared at the man every time he saw him. And strangely enough, Loki didn’t seem to like Bucky very much, although Peter couldn’t figure out why. When he asked him, the god simply ignored him and tried to distract him with a magic trick. Typical.

 

That day, Peter and Bucky were in a deep conversation about movies over a bowl of cereals.

 

“You know,” Bucky started pensively. “I think the last movie I saw was Snow White, in ’38. I remember seeing it with Steve, it was amazing.”

 

Peter almost dropped his spoon into his bowl. “You mean you haven’t seen a movie in 80 years?! Not a single one?!”

 

Bucky rolled his eyes. “Hydra didn’t exactly let me have hobbies, kiddo.”

 

“Okay, that’s not tolerable, we've got to do something. Clear your schedule, we’ve got some catching up to do, you and I.” Peter declared very seriously, already making a mental list of all the movies he needed to show to his new friend.

 

“Clear my- You know I’m basically on house arrest, right? Besides, what do you mean ‘we’? I’m not sure your dad would appreciate you spending more time with me than you already do.” Bucky answered skeptically, eyes down as he imagined Tony’s face if he found out about his son’s plans.

 

Peter simply brushed off his concerns with a wave of his hand. “Dad doesn't need to know everything I do. And it's not like we're going to take a trip outside the city, we'll be in the living room all the time.”

 

Bucky still seemed hesitant. The last thing he wanted was to damage his already complicated relationship with Tony. But one quick glance at the teenager beside him was enough to waver his confidence. He understood now what Steve meant when he said it was hard to say deny Peter anything. How could he say no to these big brown pleading eyes?

 

“Fine.” Bucky conceded, shaking his head in defeat. “But if Tony gets mad, you'll deal with him. What movies do you have in mind anyway?”

 

Peter answered almost immediately with a smile the soldier was pretty sure he got from Loki. “You said you liked Snow White?”

 

* * *

 

 

 _Why did I agree to this again?_ Bucky thought when he saw the pile of Disney movies on the table in front of them. He was comfortably settled on the couch next to Peter, a large blanket covering their legs and a giant bowl of popcorn between them.

 

“I thought we were going to watch Star Wars or something like that.” Bucky mumbled, unsatisfied with his young friend's movie choices.

 

“Oh, we will, and you will love it.” Peter assured quickly. “But you HAVE to watch these movies, they are classics! I'm pretty sure Steve saw them too when he was doing his own catching up.”

 

“Did you made him watch them too?” Bucky asked with a smirk, having no trouble picturing his best friend stuck on this couch, watching Disney movies with the stubborn teenager.

 

“Stop complaining,” Peter answered with a smile of his own, throwing popcorn at the soldier who caught it easily.“You can't be released into the world without some Disney references.”

 

“So you say.” Bucky sighed. “So, what are we watching first?”

 

* * *

 

 

Barely ten minutes into the movie, Bucky heard sniffing coming from the other side of the couch. He glanced at the teenager beside him and, sure enough, his eyes were glassy.

 

“Are you seriously crying?” Bucky asked, bewildered. “Because a doe got shot?”

 

“I'm not crying.” Peter mumbled, slapping the super-soldier's metal shoulder, his eyes never leaving the screen. “And it's not just a doe. It's Bambi's mom.”

 

The super-soldier was about to answer when the God of Lies basically materialized in front of them, frowning and kneeling in front of Peter.

 

“Are you hurt, little spider? What's the cause of your tears?”

 

“Again, I'm not crying!” Peter exclaimed, exasperated. “We're just watching a sad movie.”

 

“And you're in front of the screen, by the way.” Bucky added, noticing the glares the god always seemed to send his way. He honestly didn’t know what he did to upset Loki, especially since he didn’t remember even speaking to him before.

 

What he did remember was the conversation he had with Steve earlier that day, after their training. Ever since he moved in the compound, his friend had pushed him to talk to the others Avengers, to make sure that everyone knew he was on their side, with varying degrees of success. He enjoyed talking to Clint and Wanda, but he still couldn't bring himself to face Rhodey yet. Peter was the only one, apart from Steve, who seemed to seek out his company. Still, he could try to be civil.

 

 _Why does it feel like I'm going to regret this?_ Bucky sighed, then said:

 

“We're watching Disney movies, wanna join?”

 

Loki scrunched up his nose and stood up, still blocking their view of the television.

 

“Aren't those for children?” Loki inquired, a slight smirk on his face.

 

Peter let out a sigh of exasperation and lifted the blanket as a sign of invitation.

 

“Everyone loves a good story, doesn't matter how old your are. So, are you going to sit down or do you plan on standing in front of the television all night?”

 

To say that Bucky was impressed with how comfortable Peter was around the God would be an understatement. Then again, he was always at ease with the former assassin, so he probably shouldn't be surprised.

Loki approached the couch and, instead of taking the spot on Peter's right, decided to sit in the middle, between the super-soldier and the teenager, forcing Bucky to move to the left. The super-soldier scowled, wondering what exactly was Loki's problem with him. Sadly, he didn't have time to question the god since Peter restarted the movie, and soon enough they were all engrossed in it.

 

* * *

 

 

“Who on Midgard would wear shoes made out of glass to dance? That's extremely impractical.” Loki declared as Cinderella made her way to the ball.

 

“And impossible. There's no way they wouldn't break under her weight.” Bucky added, glad to agree on something with Loki.

 

“Shut up, it's magic.”

 

* * *

 

 

“You do know that this is not how magic works, right?” Loki asked, amused.

 

“If you say one bad word about Mary Poppins, I'll web you to this couch and you'll have to wait for Thor to get you out.” Peter warned, not liking the tone of the god concerning one of his favorite childhood movies.

 

Loki muttered something like “foolish mortals” under his breath but otherwise stayed silent.

 

* * *

 

 

Bucky noticed that Loki was surprisingly silent during the next movie. He seemed almost captivated. Bucky smirked.

 

“Does someone have a fondness for kittens?” He asked with a hint of smugness. Who would have thought that the former villain had a thing for small balls of fur?

 

“Everyone loves kittens.” Peter answered offhandedly, unaware that his alien friend was glaring icily at the super-soldier as if he had uncovered his deepest, darkest secret.

 

* * *

 

 

As the credits of The Great Mouse Detective rolled down, Peter let out a tired yawn and turned the television off.

 

“Wait, we're done?” Bucky asked, surprised and disappointed. The night had been pretty fun, he didn't want it to end so soon. “There's like twenty movies left.”

 

“Yeah, but if Dad finds out that I stayed awake until 2am to watch Disney movies with you two, he's going to kill you both, and probably me too. So we can continue later, if you want too?” Peter finished hesitantly. He had basically forced Bucky to watch these movies with him, but he actually really enjoyed his and Loki's company, and he didn't want to make them uncomfortable.

 

“I’d like that.” Bucky smiled. For the first time in so very long, he felt that his life was as close to normal as it could be.

 

“Great! You’ll be here too, right Loki?” Peter inquired excitedly. _I’ll need to prepare more popcorn._

 

“Why not? These fairy tales are quite entertaining.” As he said those words, Loki stood up, stretched, and walked up to Peter. He ruffled his hair as a goodnight, making the teenager smile and shake his head. Before leaving the room, he stopped behind Bucky who was still sitting on the couch.

 

“You are...tolerable.” Loki exhaled slowly. He quickly left the room, leaving a confused Bucky and a smiling Peter behind.

 

“I don’t think I’ll ever understand that guy.” Bucky declared, scratching his head.

 

“Me neither. That’s part of his charm, I guess. Now let’s clean everything up before Clint finds out that we ate all the popcorn and starts shooting at us.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Obviously, I had to choose which Disney movies to write about, and that was hard. My favorite Disney (Tangled) isn't even in here. By the way, what's your favorite Disney movie?


	28. Quick A/N

I'm sorry to disappoint, but this is not a new chapter. I haven't written it yet actually, and if you have ideas of what you would like me to write, I'll gladly accept them! I just wanted to let you know that...

 

I'VE SEEN INFINITY WAR!

 

I'm not going to spoil anything, I'll just say that it was amazing and so unexpected. I wanted to let you know that I would love to discuss it with you, and to provide emotional support if needed.

 

Until then, I'll see you in the next chapter!


	29. If You Die...I Think It's on Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SPOILERS FOR INFINITY WAR, DON'T READ IF YOU HAVEN'T WATCHED IT, I'M SERIOUS!! I really wanted to write something on IW, so here it is, since I have serious feels about Peter. I've been listening to sad songs for hours while I was writing this. This isn't an official part of my fanfiction, and the next chapter won't have anything to do with this one. This is simply my version of what happened. I hope you'll like this short little chapter, and remember you're the ones who keep asking for angst.

He should have seen this coming.

 

He had been dreading this moment for years. Since Ultron. No, even before that. Even before he knew about the dangers coming from outer space. And he had tried to prevent it.

 

He really did.

 

_When will anything I do ever be enough?_ Tony thought bitterly, his left hand pressed against the wound that should have killed him.

 

_At least we're all alive._

 

“Dad?” A confused and pained voice pierced through the veil of hurt and misery in his mind. Immediatly, Tony turned to his son. Peter was looking around him frantically as their new-found friends disappeared one by one.

 

“What...” Tony whispered under his breath, the realization that his nightmares were becoming reality suddenly twisting his guts. They lost. And they were paying the price.

 

He barely heard Strange talking to him with a calm and resigned voice.

 

“Tony...There was no other way.” Almost like an apology, before the Master of the Mystic Arts vanished too, taking all hope of retaliation against Thanos with him.

 

_No other way to what?! Condemn the universe to destruction?!_ Tony wanted to scream, but his voice was stuck inside his throat, refusing to come out.

 

“Dad? I don't feel so good...” Peter breathed, faltering as he tried to reach for Tony. His spider-sense was screaming at him that something was terribly wrong. He could feel his body trying to heal itself the best it could, knowing it wouldn't be enough.

 

“Pete? Are you alright?” Tony pressed, hoping and praying to a God he didn't believe in that this wasn't truly happening.

 

“I don't know... I don't know what's happening...” Peter stumbled, his words stammered just as he fell into his arms, clinging to him for dear life. “I don't... I don't wanna go. I don't wanna go, Dad...”. Peter's voice choked on the tears he didn't want to shed. He wanted to put on a brave face, stay strong, but how could he when he could feel his body shutting down?

 

“Dad, please...please. I don't wanna go. I don't wanna go.” The teenager repeated pathetically, almost sobbing against Tony's shoulder now.

 

He was supposed to be on a school trip.

 

He wasn't supposed to die at sixteen on another planet.

 

“Peter?! Come on, kiddo, you'll be okay, just hold on.” Tony pleaded, holding his son tight against him. His mind was racing like an engine, tearing itself to pieces to find a solution, a way to fix what was happening.

 

Peter's legs suddenly gave out and a moment later he was on the ground with Tony's anguished face hovering over him.

 

“Peter...please...please, don't leave.” Tony implored, cupping Peter's cheek in a desperate attempt to keep him with him, to continue to feel his warmth. Peter's brown eyes were fixed on him as he whispered:

 

“I'm sorry, Dad.”

 

Sorry I didn't stay on the bus. Sorry I didn't listen to you. Sorry I didn't stay behind.

 

Sorry you'll have to live without me.

 

When his son turned to dust between his fingers, Tony's mind shut down completely. He kept staring at the empty space in front of him where Peter was a second before, unable to process.

 

Slowly, he looked down at his hands. They were dirty, covered in grime, blood and dirt.

 

No. Not dirt.

 

Ashes. Peter's ashes.

 

Shaking, Tony raised his hand to his mouth. His trembling lips brushed against the broken skin, like a kiss goodbye. And there was only was thing he could think of.

 

_This is on me._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to re-watch Peter's death several times to write this. So suffer with me.


	30. Girls

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a good (I hope) funny chapter for y'all. Because we need something funny right now. So enjoy!

Peter didn't consider himself to be a particularly forgetful person, although the people in his life would probably say otherwise. There was this one time when he left for school, forgot his backpack at the compound and a laughing Clint had to drive and give it to him.

 

So yeah, he knew what it was like to forget one or two little things.

 

When the school bell finally rang, indicating the end of his final class of the day, Peter took the time to gather his notes. Sam was supposed to pick him up, but for some reason the man was always late, no matter who he was supposed to meet. And the teenager prefered to avoid standing outside the building for too long. Just in case there was a journalist lurking around.

 

Everyone had already left the room when Peter noticed something shiny on the desk next to him. Always the curious one, he took a closer look and realized it was ring. It seemed pretty ancient, adorned with a shiny crystal. He knew nothing about jewels or stones, but it was obvious that this ring was valuable.

 

 _Who would forget something like that at school?_ Peter wondered, observing the ring from different angles.

 

The teenager searched his memory, trying to remember who was sitting next to him, in vain. Sighing, he quickly texted Ned.

 

'Hey, do you know who was sitting on my left today?”

 

Ned answered immediately.

 

'I think it was Sara, she always sits next to the window.'

 

Now he remembered. Short, brunette, always drawing little hearts on her notebook. Peter had never paid much attention to her, but she would probably want her ring back.

 

_I hope she's still around, or she'll freak out once she realizes she lost her ring._

 

He slung his backpack over his shoulder and rushed to the front of the building where most students were waiting for their bus.

 

* * *

 

 

Fortunately, Peter quickly found Sara, chatting with a bunch of other girls right next to the road. The teenager grimaced.

 

_Why do they always have to huddle together?_

 

Peter approached the group carefully. He didn't know them after all, and he wasn't the best around girls. He could almost hear Ned whispering 'Don't be yourself, just be cool' in his ear. He cleared his throat.

 

“Hey, Sara?”

 

The young girl turned around, eyebrows raised when she realized who was talking to her.

 

“Yes, Peter? Do you need anything?” She seemed surprised, and so was Peter. He didn't think she would know his name. But then again, she probably saw all the rumours surrounding his adoption in the high school newspaper. Probably not the best introduction.

 

“Um..Sorry to bother you. You forgot this on your desk.” Peter answered quickly, handing her the ring.

 

Sara's eyes widened and she shrieked, snatching the ring from the palm of his hand. She immediately put it back on her finger and stared at it for a second. Then she did something Peter absolutely didn't see coming.

 

She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.

 

“You are a life saver, Peter! This ring is a family heirloom, my mom would have killed me if I had lost it! I kept twirling it during class, I didn't even realize I took it off! Thank you so, so much!”

 

Peter was paralized, arms hanging limp at his sides. He wasn't used to being so close to a girl who wasn't his aunt. Sure, Natasha or Wanda sometimes hugged him, but this was different, and he didn't know how to react. Was he supposed to hug her back, even if he barely knew her?

 

As if the situation couldn't get any more embarassing, Peter heard a very familiar voice.

 

“Do you want me to come back later, Pete?”

 

Of course, Sam chose this specific moment to arrive. He was in his black Mercedes, window rolled down, his left arm resting on the window sill. And, of course, he was smiling like the smug jerk he was.

 

Sara let go of Peter when she heard Sam, and her jaw dropped, the recognition flashing in her brown eyes.

 

“Is that Fal-” She began, but was promptly interrupted.

 

“Sorry, gotta go, see you later!” Peter rushed to the other side of the car, threw his backpack in the backseat and slammed the door.

 

Sam didn't mention what he saw during the trip to the compound, but his smirk was a very bad omen to Peter.

 

* * *

 

For the rest of the afternoon, Peter was pleasantly surprised to see that his friend didn't even crack a joke, and he quickly forgot this weird and embarassing moment. He kept himself busy in Tony's lab until Wanda called him for dinner.

 

“You know what, Wanda? This is the best Chicken Paprikash I've ever had.” Peter beamed, taking a second helping.

 

“I'm pretty sure it's also the only one you've ever had, but I gracefully accept the compliment.” Wanda laughed.

 

Dinners with the Avengers were always pretty lively, with Thor asking questions about the food and Natasha stealing from everyone's plate (especially Clint's). That night, Peter was explaining to Steve and Bucky the importance of watching Star Wars in the right order when Sam interrupted him.

 

“I can't believe you managed to get a girl with your geeky talk. The world really has changed since I was in high school.”

 

Peter almost choked on a chicken leg. Tony quickly turned to him with a wide smile on his face and a mischievious glint in his eyes.

 

“A girl? Really? Why haven't I heard of her before?” Tony asked, delighted.

 

“What's her name?”

 

“Is she pretty?”

 

“How long have you been dating?”

 

Peter could barely keep up with the questions from the team who seemed way too interested in his (non-existent) love life.

 

“No no no, I'm not dating anyone!” Peter nearly yelled.

 

“Really? You offer rings to all of your friends?” Sam sassed right back, crossing his arms.

 

“Wow, aren't you a bit young to get married, Pete?” Clint laughed, and even Steve bit his lip to stop smiling.

 

_Why do I feel like the jokes are always at my expense?_

 

“And you haven't even introduced her to your family, that's plain rude.” Natasha added with a smirk.

 

“She forgot her ring in class, I simply gave it back to her. Once again, I don't have a girlfriend. I don't know where I would find the time to even have one.”

 

“Um sure.” Sam rolled his eyes.

 

“Leave the kid alone, birdbrain.” Bucky cut off. “You're just jealous because the only way you'll get laid is if you crawl up this chicken's ass and wait.”

 

Needless to say, the rest of the meal was spent trying to separate these two.

 

* * *

 

When Peter finally reached his bed, he was exhausted.

 

_Who would have thought that keeping two teammates from killing each other would be so difficult?_

 

All he wanted to do was sleep. So when someone knocked on his door, the teenager let out a loud groan.

 

“Come in.” He grumbled, laying on his side, head propped up.

 

The door opened and Tony walked in.

 

“That was a quite a scene earlier.” The billionaire commented as he sat down next to Peter on the bed.

 

“If this is about what Sam said, I promise-” The teenager wanted to explain the situation, but Tony didn't let him.

 

“I trust you, kiddo. I know you don't have a secret girlfriend. You wouldn't keep this from me.”

 

Peter sighed with relief and dropped his head on Tony's lap.

 

“Thanks, Dad.”

 

“But you know, if you do need advice about girls, I would be more than happy to help. I have some experience with women...”

 

“Dad, no offense, but I would rather be struck by Thor's lightning than to have that conversation with you.” Peter deadpanned.

 

“Hey, I'm just saying, I know how crappy Sex Ed is in high school, so if you have questions...”

 

“Did May asked you to give me the Talk?” Peter wondered, horrified as he straightened up.

 

“Nope, I just thought it would be fun.” Tony answered with a smirk.

 

“It's not. It's really, really not. Can you please let me sleep now?” Peter pleaded, cheeks burning red.

 

Tony left the room, laughing at his son's innocence. Just after he closed the door, he yelled:

 

“I LEFT CONDOMS IN YOUR BESIDE TABLE. YOU'RE WELCOME!”

 

“DAD!”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be honest, I don't know anything about sex ed in the USA, except that it sucks. That's why I didn't write a whole chapter on it, like I was planning to. But it was still pretty fun to write, I hope you liked it! Also, I'm going to start writing the Disneyland chapter, but since I've never been to Disney World Resort in Florida myself, I would like to ask those of you who had been there if you have a favorite attraction, what it's like there, stuff like that. I can find info on the website but there's nothing like really experiencing things.


	31. Jealousy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M BACK EVERYONE!! I'm so very sorry for being absent for so long. I had a huge case of writer's block, I knew what I wanted to write, but I just couldn't find the right words. My fellow authors know how much this sucks.  
> So I decided to cut the chapter I wanted to write in two to make it easier. Here's the first, I hope I'll be able to post the second part soon. I'm going to London for the weekend, so hopefully I can update before I leave.

This was starting to get ridiculous. He was Tony Stark. Genius, billionaire, playboy (although not so much these days) philanthropist. He was Iron Man. Earth's best defender. He even invented a new element, for Odin's sake!

 

He was definitely not jealous.

 

Especially not of Loki and Barnes.

 

So what if his kid spent most Friday nights with Frosty and Elsa? It’s not like he was doing anything dangerous or illegal. On the contrary, he was simply sitting on a couch in the living room.

 

With two of the deadliest people on the planet, who were literally wrapped around his finger.

 

How his son could get along with those two was beyond his comprehension. Still, when he found out about those movie nights, he wasn’t exactly surprised.

 

A bit disappointed he wasn’t invited, but not surprised. After all, when he first met Peter, the kid confessed to him that he often looked for pieces of technology in the garbage. He knew that the kid had a penchant for broken things.

 

So why did it bother him that much that Peter was spending time with other people? It wasn't like he expected the kid to spend all his free time with him.

 

No matter how much he wanted to.

 

“You’re looking at your glass of Scotch like it holds the answer to all your problems. That’s never a good sign.”

 

Startled, Tony looked behind his shoulder to find Steve approaching him with a smile. The super-soldier leant against the kitchen's counter, eyeing the glass disapprovingly.

 

“That's just jealousy speaking. I bet you wish you could get drunk.” Tony mumbled, gulping down the rest of his Scotch.

 

“Waking up with a huge headache and no memory of what I did the night before? I'll leave that to you, thank you very much.” Steve shot him a brief smile, but concern was clear in his bright blue eyes. “Are you okay? You know you can talk to me, right?”

 

Yes, he knew that. Even after everything that happened between them, Tony knew that there was no one he could confide in like Steve. He could always count on the super-soldier to tell him when he was acting out of line, and that made him a precious friend and ally.

 

Tony slapped Steve's shoulder, the bottle of Scotch next to him completely forgotten.

 

“Now, don't go soft on me. I'm fine, just thinking about some issues I have.”

 

“And those issues wouldn't happen to have a metal arm and golden horns?” Steve deduced, his head resting on his hand, an indecipherable look on his face.

 

Tony blinked, surprised. He was so used to seeing Steve the Leader that he forgot how perceptive his friend actually was. Or maybe he simply sucked at hiding his annoyance. 

 

“Look, I know Point Break and you trust those two, but you can't blame me for wanting to protect my kid.” Tony objected.

 

“No one is blaming you, Tony. Have you talked to Peter about this? He wouldn't like you to worry like that about him.”Steve empathized.

 

“You know Peter. If I tell him to stay away from Barnes and Loki, he's going to think I don't trust him. Which is completely untrue.”

 

Steve slowly nodded. “You have a point.” He stayed silent for a moment, then said: “Why don't you join them on their Disney marathon? That way, you'll see that Bucky is harmless. I can't speak for Loki, but if he wanted to harm the kid in any way, he would have done by now.”

 

Crash the movie marathon? That would be a good way to make sure that Peter was safe. And to get some quality father-son bonding time.

 

“You know what, Rogers? That's a brilliant idea. I'm sure Peter won't mind if I join them.”

 

“Of course he won't.” Steve agreed, picking up the bottle of Scotch and putting it back under the kitchen counter, where it belonged.

 

Now, all he had to do was wait for Friday night to come. And maybe ask Happy to buy more popcorn.

 

This promised to be an interesting evening.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hope you liked this chapter, even if it took me so long to write it! Btw, do you guys about Fighter's Block? It's a website to help authors who are suffering from writer's block. It really helped me.
> 
> The next chapter will introduce a beloved MCU character that I absolutely love, but I don't want to spoil you ;)


	32. Unexpected Guest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm actually a bit proud of this chapter, so I hope you'll like it!

Popcorn ? Check. A huge pile of Disney movies he knew by heart (thanks to his long nights of insomnia)? Check. His most comfortable clothes ? Check.

 

His son and his two dumb friends ? Not check.

 

Seriously, what was taking them so long ? Tony knew that they usually started their marathon at 8, and it was already 8:20. Barnes was getting back from a mission with Steve, so it wasn't surprising that he was late, but what about Loki ? And more importantly, Peter ?

 

With an annoyed sigh, the billionaire reached for his phone in his pocket and quickly dialed Peter's number. Of course, it went straight to voicemail.

 

“Kiddo, I don't know why I bothered to give you a brand new StarkPhone if you never answer it.” Tony whined, eyes fixed on the living room door. “Are you out patrolling? Don't make me track your suit, just call me back. Please.”

 

Turning around, Tony grabbed the giant bowl and stuffed his mouth with popcorn. He had almost forgotten how much he loved this sweet, caramelized taste. He usually prefered to eat chocolate during movies (less noisy), but this...this was heaven.

 

 _I could always eat this by myself..._ But he could already hear Bruce telling him how completely unhealty that would be.

 

“Hey, kiddo. Sorry I'm late, I just got back and-” Bucky started, walking in with a wide smile on his face. He stopped in his tracks as soon as he saw Tony in the middle of room, his smile quickly vanishing from his face.

 

“Stark...I'm sorry, I was looking for Peter.” Bucky shifted uncomfortably, refusing to meet Tony's eyes. He was clearly uneasy about the current situation. “We usually watch movies together.”

 

“I'm aware. That's why I'm here. To join you. You wouldn't happen to know where Peter is by any chance? ” Tony inquired not so warmly, crossing his arms over his torso _._

 

“Out, I think. Loki and him wanted to try the new Ben and Jerry's Cinnamon Buns flavor. They should be back anytime soon.” He paused briefly. “I didn't even know Loki had a driver's licence.”

 

“He probably doesn't, but since when does Elsa respect the laws?” The billionaire sighed, hoping that Loki was responsible enough to not let Peter drive if he asked to.

 

Bucky frowned and tilted his head. “Who's Elsa? I don't get that reference.” the super-soldier admitted softly. He always seemed to walk on eggshells when Tony was around. As if a single word from him could push the other man to his limits.

 

“Haven't watched Frozen yet? Don't worry, I have the DVD right here. Not my favorite, but any Disney movie is a good movie in my book.” Tony was rather impressed with himself. This was probably the longest conversation he ever had with Barnes and he had managed to stay polite so far. It wasn't too complicated, the man looked like a puppy, waiting for him to beat him up.

 

_I hate it when Rogers is right._

 

* * *

 

An hour later, Peter and Loki walked in the direction of the living room, ice cream in hand.

 

“You know I could just conjure all the ice cream you want. This trip was not necessary.” Loki grumbled. He hated driving. Midgardians were rude by nature, but they were even worse when they were behind a steering wheel. If Peter hadn't been by his side, he would have shown these foolish mortals the consequences of insulting a god.

 

“You can't stay locked up in the compound all the time, it'll drive you insane.” Peter declared, smiling with delight. “Besides, we didn't have to wait for Bucky that way.”

 

“Speaking of the soldier, isn't he talking to your father?” Loki asked with a frown, recognizing the voices behind the closed door of the living room.

 

“Oh crap.” Peter hurried inside the room, only to find his friend and his father talking (at a safe distance, but still) about the pros and cons of twisting the historical reality in Pocahontas.

 

“It's just a cartoon, it doesn't matter.” Tony asserted, an almost empty bowl of popcorn balancing on his knees.

 

“I disagree. If you lie to kids when they're young, it'll be harder for them to accept the truth growing up.” Bucky stressed, still cautious, but with definite warmth in his voice.

 

Peter didn't completely understand what was going on, but he knew better than to ask questions. Still, he wondered what could have happened in his absence. Bucky and Tony turned to the newcomers as they entered. The teenager immediately noticed how relaxed they both seemed to be.

 

“Look at this, I guess miracles do happen.” Loki said sarcastically, ignoring the glares everyone in the room was sending his way. Since starting an argument was the last thing Peter wanted, the teenager quickly asked:

 

“Do you want to join us, Dad? Tonight, we have Toy Story, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and 101 Dalmatians. And we have ice cream”

 

Tony smiled and agreed instantly. “But I'm afraid we're out of popcorn. Your fault, really, since you are late. Would you mind getting more, Pete? I left some in the kitchen.”

 

Peter shrugged, grabbed the bowl and headed toward the kitchen. The minute he left, the tension in the room rose to a dangerous level. _Not the best people to leave alone in a room._ Bucky thought, eyes darting to Loki and Tony who were staring coldly at each other. _Please, I really don't want to fight tonight._ The super-soldier silently pleaded.

 

With a sigh, Tony rose and walked toward Loki. He stopped in front of the god, took a deep breath, and started:

 

“Look, I know we don't always see eye to eye-”

 

“That's because you're too short.” Loki interrupted with a smirk.

 

_Think about Peter. Think about Peter. Think about Peter. He wouldn't like it if you threw his friend out of the window. Even if he deserved it._

 

“-And I definitely don't trust you.” He continued as if Loki hadn't interrupted him. “ I have no idea why Peter likes you, although I imagine the magic helps.”

 

“His magic is pretty cool.” Bucky hummed. When Tony raised an eyebrow at him, he explained : “He helped me with my nightmares.”

 

“When I told you 'don't mention it', I meant 'don't mention it to anyone', Barnes.” Loki hissed at Bucky who didn't seem all that impressed.

 

So Loki was capable of helping someone without asking for something in return. Thor's voice resonated in the back of Tony's mind, reminding him that it was Loki who allowed the Asgardians to escape Hela's wrath. Perhaps, just perhaps, Loki's tale of redemption wasn't completely false.

 

“Anyway, I don't trust you. But...” Tony hoped he wasn't going to regret the words he was about to say. “Peter trusts you. That's enough for me.”

 

Loki looked both shocked and amazed. He was expecting Tony to threaten him like he did before. Not give him his blessing to hang out with his son, whom he treated like the apple of his eyes. He suspected his brother to be behind the sudden acceptance, although he couldn't prove it.

 

 _I don't need anybody's acceptance or friendship._ Loki's independent side screamed. But as Peter entered the room with enough popcorn to feed a regiment, he couldn't help thinking: _But it's still nice to have it._

 

* * *

 

 

“You know,” Tony began as Woody and his friend came to life on the screen. “When I was a kid, I tried to make living toys like those. It didn't end well.”

 

“What happened? It didn't work?” Peter asked, turning his head to his father and handing the bowl to Bucky who was sitting against his legs on the ground.

 

“Oh it worked alright. A little too well, I would say. I woke up one night to a teddy bear hovering over me. It took Jarvis hours to calm me down. I threw all my toys away the next day.”

 

“I bet the press would love to hear about the great Iron Man being afraid of toys.” Loki quipped happily, licking the spoon in his hand. Wonderful Midgardian creation, this ice cream.

 

“They've written far worse things about me, believe me.”

 

The night was going surprisingly well, all things considered. The food was great, no one died yet, and, more importantly, Peter was happy.

 

 _That's my kind of night._ Tony thought, throwing his arm around Peter's shoulder and bringing him closer.

 

“You know what this popcorn is missing? More caramel.” Bucky declared, eyes not leaving the screen.

 

All heads turn to Tony.

 

“Seriously?”

 

“Loki and I brought the ice cream.” Peter smirked.

 

“And I brought the blankets.” Bucky added, putting the bowl on Tony's knees.

 

Tony rolled his eyes, reluctantly getting up. “You are all a bunch of couch potatoes, that's what you are.”

 

* * *

 

“ Where is that damn caramel syrup?” Tony grumbled, searching through the cabinets.

 

A soft sound that he couldn't identify slowly invaded the room.

 

It didn't sound like a gun or a bomb, but Tony couldn't shake off the feeling of danger. Slowly, his hand brushed against the watch on his wrist, ready to activate his suit at any moment. Another sound, footsteps this time, was enough for him to press on the watch, and to turn around, aiming at the intruder.

 

His brown eyes met icy grey ones. The intruder seemed vaguely familiar, yet he couldn't put a name on his face. And he definitely didn't know anyone who would dress like that.

 

“Who the fuck are you?” Tony growled, ready to fire at the stranger in his home.

 

The man seemed eerily calm despite his situation. He didn't seem aggressive, and Tony wondered how could have sneaked into a highly secure property without being detected.

 

“That weapon is completely unnecessary, Anthony Stark.” The intruder stated with a deep, yet soft voice. “My name is Stephen Strange, and I am not your ennemy.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I need your help, guys. I've fallen down a dark, dark hole. I've started reading IronStrange fanfics and I can't stop. And now, I want to include IronStange in my fanfic, but I don't know if you would like or not. So please, tell me, what do you think about it?


	33. Vouch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEY GUYS, I'M BACK! I haven't updated for, what, a month, maybe two? I'm really sorry about that. I've been to London, then Italy, and then I got sick (yeah, in the middle of summer, because that's what loosers do.) I've also got exciting news: this girl has find herself a job! I am now a full time librarian, starting next week, and I'm really excited. I'll try my best to post more regularly though. I've also listened to your advises, and I'm going to keep the IronStrange in a future fanfiction.

Now he remembered why his face seemed familiar.

  
  
Stephen Strange. The man who refused to treat Rhodey after his accident, then disappeared into thin air. Tony recalled reading articles about him.

  
  
BRILLIANT NEUROSURGEON LOSES EVERYTHING IN TERRIBLE CAR ACCIDENT. WHERE IS STEPHEN STRANGE!?

  
Well, Tony couldn't say where Strange had gone, but if he had to guess, he would say that he joined some kind of cult (who else would dress like that?) and became a ninja in the process.

  
  
“You know what?” Tony began after a moment of silence. “I don't care who you are. Just tell me how you managed to slip through the security and what you want from me.”

  
  
A brief, almost amused smile passed over his lips. Tony considered himself to be hilarious, but he didn't think he'd say anything funny.

  
  
“Well, the first part is easy. I used magic to create a portal that led me here.”

 

Tony blinked one. Twice. _Magic ?_

 

“LOKI! BRING YOUR ASS HERE RIGHT NOW!” Tony shouted, his eyes not leaving Stephen's definitely amused face.

 

* * *

 

 

As Toy Story's credits rolled down and You've Got a Friend in Me ended, Peter stretched his arms and yawned. It was almost midnight by now, and the moon was high in the sky. He dropped his arms, his left hand resting on the top of Bucky's head.

 

“Can we watch another one?” Bucky asked, turning his blue puppy dog eyes to him.

 

“Can't you see our little spider is tired? I think it's past his bedtime.” Loki answered with a little smile.

 

“You're the one who's a thousand years old.” Peter jested. “Maybe it's past your bedtime.”

 

The God of Mishef poked his waist, making him laugh. Bucky smiled at that, looked around, then frowned.

 

“Guys? Hasn't Tony been gone for some time now?” He inquired.

 

At the exact same time, they all heard:

 

“LOKI! BRING YOUR ASS HERE RIGHT NOW!”

 

They jumped to their feet and ran toward the kitchen. During their run, Loki conjured two knives and tossed one to Bucky. As they entered the kitchen, Loki suddenly stopped and swore loudly enough to make Peter blush.

 

“What in the seven kingdoms are you doing here, damn sorcerer?” Loki growled, pointing his knife at Stephen.

 

Ignoring him, the doctor spoke directly to Tony.

 

“To answer your second question, I'm here for him.” Stephen nodded in Loki's direction. “He's on my watchlist of individuals that may be a threat to this world. I'm here to check that he's not planning anything dangerous.”

 

Loki huffed, and Tony did his best to not imitate him.

 

“The Avengers got him under control, thank you for your concern.” Tony answered with all the sarcasm he was capable of. Something about this man was putting him on edge, he just didn't know what it was. “If we need someone to pull a rabit out of a hat, we'll call you. Until then, we don't need the help of a pseudo-magician.”

 

“Wait, he's a magician?” Peter interrupted, looking at the newcomer with a spark of interest in his eyes.

 

“Actually, I'm the Master of the Mystic Arts.” Stephen corrected firmly. “Magician is a bit reductive.” With a flick of his hand, Stephen created a portal on the ceiling, and out of it tumbled a confused and sleepy Thor, sprawled on the floor in his Mjölnir pajamas.

 

“What in Odin's name...” Thor mumbled, looking around until he found Stephen. His eyes lit up, and the next second he was standing in front of the sorcerer, holding out his hand.

 

“It's a pleasure to meet you again, sorcerer.” Thor beamed. His smile dropped when he realised that Stephen left his hand unshaken. “But surely a nighttime visit wasn't necessary?”

 

“Defending the multiverse is all time consuming, I'm afraid. More importantly, I thought I had been clear the last time we saw each other. Your brother is not welcome on this planet.”

 

A silence fell after this declaration. Peter risked a glance at Loki. His head was down, his jaw was set, and he was clenching the knife so hard that the handle was starting to bend.

 

“I promise you, my friend, that Loki is completely harmless now.” Thor assured quickly. The God of Thunder knew that Stephen was not someone to be taken lightly. The last thing he wanted was to start a fight with the Sorcerer Supreme.

 

“He just pointed a knife at me.” Stephen deadpanned.

 

“But he didn't stab you! That's progress, trust me on that.”

 

Bucky, who had stayed silent until now and had settled for standing close to Peter, decided that it was time for him to speak.

 

“Look, I don't know who you are or what your problem is with Loki. But I think everyone in this room is ready to vouch for him. Right, Pete?”

 

“Absolutely!” Peter nodded fiercely. “I haven't seen him do one bad thing since I met him.” He stopped to think for a second. “Well, he may have played one or two pranks, but that's not necessarily wrong.”

 

“You love my pranks.” Loki mumbled, sending a small smile Peter's way. The knife in his hand seemed to have disappear. 

 

Stephen had listened silently to the others' plea. He then turned to Tony.

 

“Loki has been living under your roof. What do you have to say?”

 

Tony sighed, running his hand through his hair. “It pains me to admit it, but they are right. I wouldn't say that he's harmless, but he is not an immediate threat. And he is under our surveillance anyway. You don't have to worry about him”

 

Stephen nodded. “So you vouch for him?”

 

Tony turned his head to Loki who was looking at him questioningly. Almost like he wondered what he was going to say.

 

_ Don't make me regret this. _

 

“Yeah, I vouch for him. So don't throw him into a black hole just yet.”

 

The Sorcerer Supreme finally seemed convinced. “Very well. I will leave him your care then.” After a final, almost appraising glance at Tony, Stephen waved his hand and a golden portal appeared on behind him. “I'm sure we'll see each other soon enough.” A nod, and then he was gone.

 

A silence stretched between them, eventually broken by Tony.

 

“There's way too many people who use magic on this planet.” He declared, putting the uneaten popcorn back into the cupboard.

 

“You mortals can't understand the complexity of the use of magic anyway- OUCH!” Loki exclamed, rubbing his sore ribs that Bucky just pinched.

 

“Stop insulting humanity and say thank you, you dumbass.”

 

Loki rolled his eyes. “Fine!” He placed his hand on a smiling Peter's shoulder. “Thank you, Peter. I'm very grateful for your everlasting trust and support.”

 

“Hey, what about us?!” Tony accused, rubbing his eye. Damn, he was tired.

 

“Don't worry, I'm also grateful to all you non-Peters.” Loki said with a detached voice.

 

_That little shit._

 

* * *

 

 

After a tight hug from Thor who profusely thanked him for his help, Tony managed to escape to his bedroom. Not that he didn't want to spend more time with the others, but the encounter with the Sorcerer Supreme seemed to have burnt off his energy. The billionaire simply crashed into his bed with a moan of delight. His thoughts turned to the man he just met.

 

_Stephen Strange, huh? Weird guy..._

 

There were timid knocks on his door.

 

“Unless you're Peter, go away.”

 

The door opened, and the teenager gingerly entered the room.

 

“Hey kiddo. Do you need anything?”

 

“Nothing, just...thank you.”

 

Tony slowly stood up, sending Peter a puzzled look.

 

“For what? Not letting a weirdo with a cape throw our personal pain in the ass into a sun?” He huffed.

 

“Well, yeah. And also for being the best dad ever.”

 

“I appreciate the compliment, kiddo, but why?” Tony laughed.

 

“I see all the efforts you make for me. Forgiving to Bucky and Loki couldn't have been easy for you. I wanted to tell you how much I appreciate everything you do for me.”

 

Wrapping his arms around the young boy and dropping his head on his shoulder (damn, he was growing so fast), Tony whispered:

 

“You don't need to thank me, Pete. I would be a really crappy father if I didn't do everything in my power to make you happy. Even if that involves befriending ex-criminals.”

 

Peter said nothing, simply tightening his arms around Tony. After a brief silence, the teenager had to add something.

 

“You know, I think he likes you.”

 

“Who?”

 

“The guy from earlier. He seemed to like you.”

 

“You're obviously exhausted, go to sleep before you start saying that The Cursed Child is a masterpiece.”

 

Peter looked horrified and quickly ran out of the room, leaving a laughing Tony behind.

 

_Likes me? Nah, not a chance in Hell._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hope you liked it! And if you're wondering, yes, I'm a Potterhead (seriously, who isn't?), and yes, I have a complicated relationship with The Cursed Child. Also, this was the first and last appearance of Stephen Strange in this fanfic.  
> Anyway, if you have ideas you'd like to share, or if you liked this chapter, don't hesitate to leave a comment


	34. A Trip to the Magic Kingdom - Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, it's been ages since I updated, I'm sorry. Between my work, my studies for my exams and my attempts at maintaining a social life, it's a bit difficult to find the time to write. But here it is, the chapter I promised I would write! The next part should be faster to write, I think. Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy it!

After living in a palace most of his life, Loki was used to the commotion that came with sharing a home with several other people. He had become quite good at ignoring everyone around him when he wanted to. Like, for example, when he was trying to read this fascinating book about Greek Mythology but a certain teenager seemed really eager to talk to him. After five minutes of nagging, Loki slammed his book shut with a sigh.

  


“Pray tell, little spider, what is so important that it can’t wait until I’ve finished my book?” Loki inquired, unable to keep the annoyance out of his voice. Just because he was fond of Peter didn’t mean the boy was allowed to interrupt his daily reading session.

  


Peter smiled widely, either unaware or ignoring Loki’s tone. “You know we’re going to DisneyWorld tomorrow, right? Well, I’m having some trouble packing for the trip.” 

  


“And you came to me because….?”

  


“I was wondering if, maybe, you could help me with your magic. Maybe make my suitcase bigger, Doctor Who style.”

  


Loki rolled his eyes. “I've trained for centuries to obtain an expertise of magic  almost unequaled in the galaxy, and you want  me  to use it for something that trivial?”

  


“….Yeah?”

  


Loki took a deep breath  and  tried to not feel insulted before standing up. He glanced at his book, abandoned on the coffee table.

  


“Let's just get this over with.”

  


  


When Loki walked into Peter's room, he had to stop for a second to take everything in.

  


“What in the name of Odin is going on here?” Loki exclaimed.

  


He may have been the God of Chaos, but the complete state of disarray Peter's room was in was something else entirely.  A huge suitcase was left open on the unmade bed and clothes w ere scattered around the room.  Peter's suit was on a hanger alongside with different coats and jackets.  It looked like the teenager had just bought an entire clothing store and decided to decorate his room with its content.

  


“You do know we're only staying there for a week right?” The God asked after a few seconds of silence. “And why are you taking so many coats? Isn't Florida supposed to be warm?”

  


“You never know, the weather forecast might be wrong.” Peter explained, picking up a mountain of clothing and putting inside the suitcase. Of course, it would be impossible to close it considering the amount of clothes inside. “There, can you help me?”

  


Loki was extremely tempted to just make half of the clothes disappear and be done with it. Sensing the God's mischievous intention, Peter said in a nonchalant voice:

  


“You know, it's okay if you can't help me. I'm sure I can just call Mister Strange, he could probably do it for me.”

  


Immediately , a soft green light surrounded  Loki's right hand as Peter's suitcase closed with a click.  _Gotcha_ .

  


“Be kind enough to never pronounce the name of this fraud ever again.” Loki warned. Peter shrugged off the barely concealed threat as he grabbed his suit.

  


“Do you think I should take it with me?” The teenager asked.

  


“We're going to an amusement park. The only threat you're going to face is the diabetes you'll be sure to get if you walk into Boardwalk Candy Palace.” Loki answered without missing a beat. 

  


Peter seemed to accept  this point as he put his suit back into the closet. Then something crossed his mind.

  


“Did you memorize DisneyWorld's map for our trip?” Peter smirked.

  


“Please. Don't pretend you and Barnes are not going to get overexcited, run off and get lost at least three times. I'm simply making sure we can find our way back to the hotel so you don't give your father a heart attack.”

  


“Aww, I knew you cared.”

  


A slam of the door was the only answer he got.

  


  


_I swear everyone on this team is a freaking child._ Tony thought as he left Bucky's room. He had spent the last hour going through everyone's room to make sure that they were ready for the trip. And his teammates had obviously decided to be difficult today.

  


_We're going to DisneyWorld, Cap. Put that shield down or so help me._

  


_Stop pouting, Barnes, it's not my fault they decided to put metal detectors in place._

  


_Yes, Thor, there will be rhinoceros. No, you can't ride them._

  


_Just because we'll have the park to ourselves doesn't mean you should just do Space Mountain over and over again, Birdie. Because you'll get sick, you dumbass!_

  


In the end, Peter and Loki were probably the ones who gave him the less trouble. Well, the latter just told him that he didn't need to pack because he could simply conjure what he needed. How convenient.

  


Slumping on the couch with his arm over his head, Tony wondered how long it has been since he last went to DisneyWorld. He remembered going with his Aunt Peggy when he was just a child, but it was so long ago, he could barely remember anything. What he did remember was how much he loved going there and how happy he had felt that day.

  


Now, all he wanted was to share the same joy with his family.  To see the same smile he had that day on Peter's face.

  


Tomorrow couldn't arrive fast enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked this chapter (also, we stan Aunt Peggy), and I could use your help for the next one! What's your favorite ride at DisneyWorld, if you have one?   
> Also, on a different note, have you watched Venom yet?


End file.
